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^A-*, 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON, 


WITH   SELECTIONS   FROM 


HER  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  THE  PUPILS 


JIT.  HOLYOKE  FEMALE  SEMINARY. 


BY  FIDELIA  FISK. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

AMERICAN    TRACT     SOCIETY, 

28     CORN  HILL.    BOSTON. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866,  by  the 

AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ROCKWELL    AND    ROLLINS, 

PRINTERS  AND  STEREOTYPERS, 

122  Wanhington  St.,  Boston. 


PREFACE. 


THE  present  work  is  not  a  memoir.  Two  considerable 
volumes  have  already  been  published  sketching  the  life 
and  labors  of  Mary  Lyon,  and  leaving  little  room  or  occasion 
for  a  third  covering  the  same  ground.  - 

Miss  Fisk  was  led  to  undertake  this  work  by  finding  among 
some  of  the  early  Holyoke  pupils  many  notes  of  Miss  Lyon's 
instructions,  especially  on  religious  topics,  and  as  thpse  were 
talked  over  and  interesting  incidents  were  related  of  her, 
the  desire  was  very  often  expressed  that  they  might  be  put 
together  in  some  form  to  benefit  others,  and  bring  Miss 
Lyon  anew  before  the  minds  of  young  ladies  preparing  for 
usefulness. 

Miss  Fisk  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  work.  Her  mind 
and  character  were  of  such  a  type  as  to  receive  a  deep  im- 
press from  Miss  Lyon's  influence.  Her  birthplace  was  in 
a  town  adjoining  Miss  Lyon's  first  home,  and,  from  early 
childhood,  she  had  heard  of  her  words  and  deeds.  In  later 
years  she  was  brought  into  intimate  connection  with  her 
as  a  pupil  and  teacher,  and  allowed,  as  few  others  were,  to 
know  her  inner  life.  She  most  tenderly  loved  and  venerated 

ill 

4. 5  .a. 

54?) 


JV  PREFACE* 

her,  and  when  Miss  Fisk  went  to  a  distant  field  of  labor,  it 
was  to  carry  Miss  Lyon's  views  and  principles  with  her,  and 
make  them  pre-eminently  her  own. 

She  treasured  up  every  thing  she  had  heard  from  her  lips, 
and,  in  studying  and  following  her  example,  her  character 
was  fashioned  into  the  same  image.  Her  instructions  to 
the  pupils  at  South  Hadley  showed,  to  all  who  heard  them, 
that  she  was  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  their  first  principal  in 
a  remarkable  degree. 

She  entered  upon  the  task  of  collecting  and  writing  out 
these  reminiscences  with  much  interest,  and  had  nearly  com- 
pleted the  narrative  portion.  It  was  her  purpose  to  insert 
only  those  tilings  which  had  not  been  published  before  ;  but 
a  few  letters  and  other  extracts  were  desirable  to  make  the 
narrative  complete. 

Materials  accumulated  so  much  while  she  was  writing 
that  she  changed  her  plan,  and  designed  to  re-write  much 
of  what  she  had  prepared.  Sickness  however  compelled 
her  to  lay  aside  her  pen  before  she  had  carried  out  her  pur- 
pose, and,  after  her  death,  it  was  thought  best  to  publish 
the  manuscript  much  as  she  had  left  it.  It  has  been  copied 
and  finished  by  a  friend,  who  was  a  teacher  with  Miss  Fisk 
at  the  seminary,  and  who  remained  there  till  after  Miss 
Lyon's  death. 


PREFACE.  V 

This  book  occupied  many  of  Miss  Fisk's  thoughts,  after 
disease  had  laid  its  hand  heavily  upon  her,  and  may,  perhaps, 
be  considered  her  last  gift  to  the  service  of  Christ.  It  was 
one  of  the  last  efforts  to  be  given  up.  She  says  of  it  in 
speaking  of  her  health,  and  not  being  able  to  return  to 
Persia,  —  N 

"I  have  nothing  that  I  wanted  to  do  here,  except  to 
finish  that  writing.  I  may  have  to  give  it  up,  but  I  still  hope 
not.  If  the  tabernacle  does  not  shake  too  much,  I  will  try 
to  do  it,  and  may  be  I  shall  be  more  in  sympathy  with  her 
who  has  laid  aside  her  tabernacle,  than  if  I  were  well."  The 
book  would  have  had  much  more  merit  had  she  been  able 
to  finish  it,  but  the  endeavor  has  been  to  carry  out  her  wishes 
and  designs  in  regard  to  it,  as  far  as  possible. 

If  this  record  of  the  instructions  and  incidents  in  the 
life  of  a  beloved  teacher  shall  make  her  words  come  home 
to  the  heart  of  any  of  her  pupils  with  fresh  power,  and 
thus  incite  them  to  greater  diligence  in  the  Master's  service, 
or  if  it  shall  give  those  just  commencing  life's  work  new 
and  more  correct  views  of  life  and  duty,  the  earnest  desires 
of  those  who  have  prepared  it  will  be  met. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

PARENTAGE  AND  CHILDHOOD        ...          .          .          .          .9 

CHAPTER  II. 
HOME  DUTIES  AND  TRAINING  .         .         .         .         .20 

CHAPTER  III. 
EARLY  SCHOOL-DATS  .         .          .         .         .         .         .35 

CHAPTER  IV. 
AT  BYFIELD  AND  DERRY 44 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE  BUCKLAND  SCHOOL      .......     54 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Is  DERRY,  ASHFIELD,  AND  BUCKLAND  *  .       .          .          .65. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
FOUNDING  OF  MOUNT  HOLYOKE  SEMINARY    .         .         .         .88 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  FIRST  YEAR       .          .  .         .         .         .          .101 

CHAPTER  IX. 
SECOND,  THIRD,  AND  FOURTH  YEARS    .         .         .         .         .114 

CHAPTER  X. 
SECOND,  THIRD,  AND  FOURTH  YEARS  CONTINUED    .         .          .131 

CHAPTER  XI. 

FIFTH  AND  SIXTH  YEARS    .         »      .  •         .         .         .         .147 

CHAPTER  XH. 
FIFTH  AND  SIXTH  YEARS  CONTINUED 159 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
SIXTH  TO  THE  TENTH  YEAR         .         •  "/•'•         . '       .177 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

SICKNESS  AND  DEATH         ..        .    _.   .      .r  .         .   •      .   -      .    201 

vi 


SELECTIONS. 


Morning  Exercises    . 

Thy  will  be  done 

Sowing  to  the  Spirit  and  to  the  Flesh    . 

Study  of  the  Scriptures  .  . 

Our  relations  to  God   .  .         '     » 

Willing  to  live  and  labor  .  . 

Cultivation  of  personal  religion  . 

Ye  are  not  your  own    .  .  . 

Our  sinful  Hearts 

"  Take  no  thought  what  ye  shall  eat  "  . 

Eternity          .... 

"  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation  " 

The  Great  Supper 
Afternoon  Exercises  .  . 

Study  .  .  »        .     » 

Punctuality    .... 

Habits  .... 

Economy         .... 

Health  .... 

Furnishing  a  Table      .  .  . 

Personal  Responsibility  in  Giving  . 
Benevolence  .... 
Missionary  Contributions 

General  principles  of  giving      .  . 

The  Keward   .  . 

Givinff  in  Christ's  name  .          '    » 

The  Bible  standard  of  giving,  high 

Reasons  for  adopting  the  Bible  standard 

What  is  a  high  standard  ?         .  . 

Self-denial  for  Christ's  sake      .  . 

Reasons  for  Self-denial  .  . 

Curse  of  Selfishness    .  .  . 

The  Parable  of  the  Talents       .  . 

Meetings  with  the  Impenitent 
Sabbath  Evening  Instructions 

Who  are  at  the  eleventh  hour  t  . 

God  our  portion  . 

Enemies  of  Christ        . 

Friends  of  Christ 

Meeting  at  the  judgment 

Sinners  spending  with  riotous  iving 

The  strait  Gate 

Teachings  of  the  Spirit  on  sin 

Seeking  an  interest  in  Christ 

Seeking  the  Lord  •       . 

Christ  crucified  . 


219 

219 
220 
2>> 
224 
ZX 
'til 
2-J8 

L"jy 

2-TO 
231 
232 
233 
2T.5 
235 
236 
237 
238 
239 
2-U 
243 
245 
249 
249 
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252 
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250 
257 
258 

259 
263 
263 
264 
265 
266 
268 
269 
270 
271 
272 
273 
273 


Vll 


SELECTIONS. 


Choosing  the  Lord       .  . 

Sovereignty  of  God     .  . 

The  new  Song  .  . 

The  wailing  of  despair  . 

History  of  Paul  .  . 

The  Burden  of  Sin       .  . 

Review  of  the  Past      .  . 

Satan's  Grand  Temptation  . 
Penitence  for  Sin  .  • 

The  Holy  Spirit 
Electing  love  of  God    . 
Addresses  at  Morning  and  Evening  Services 
Respect  and  Honor  of  Parents 
The  Law  of  God 

Reasons  for  making  a  Public  Profession 
Hatred  to  Christ 

Living  to  God  and  Living  to  the  World 
Prayer  of  Faith 

Christian  Fellowship  .  . 

Self-examination         .  . 

For  Christ's  sake  .  .  . 
Christ's  Prayer  for  his  Disciples 
Feeding  the  Lambs  .  . 

Killing  the  Lambs        .  . 

First  Meeting  of  a  Term  . 

The  Christian  Hope     . 
Prayer  of  Faith  for  the  Holy  Spirit 
Salvation  of  great  Sinners        . 
Wisdom  .  .  . 

The  great  choice          .  . 

Praying  always  .  . 

Regeneration  .  . 

Sin  without  excuse      .  . 

Entering  God's  Vineyard  . 
God's  Mercy  .  .  . 

Faith  of  Abel 

Glorying  in  Infirmities  . 

Taking  no  Thought  for  the  Morrow 
Christ  the  Light  of  the  World  . 

Fasting  .  .  .  ' 

Observance  of  the  Day  . 

What  is  Fasting? 

Fast  for  Colleges 

Descent  of  the  Spirit  on  Literary  Institutions 
Detached  Sayings     . 


275 
276 
277 
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279 
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285 
286 
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393 
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390 
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315 
317 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LION. 


CHAPTER     I. 

antr 


THE  OLD  MANUSCRIPT  —  JEMIMA  SHEPARD  —  HER  SPIRITUAL  CON- 
FLICT —  MENTAL  ANGUISH  —  RELIEF  —  PEACE  —  LOVE  TO  CHRIST  — 
ASPIRATIONS  —  MARRIAGE  TO  AARON  LYON  —  HIS  CONVERSION  — 
BIRTH  OF  MARY  —  DEATH  OF  HER  LITTLE  BROTHER  —  AND  OF  HER 
FATHER  —  THE  PARTING  SCENE  —  THE  WIDOW'S  GRIEF  —  AMD  JOYS. 

"  I     AM     MORE     INDEBTED    TO     MY    MOTHER     THAN    TO    ALL 

OTHERS  EXCEPT  MY  MAKER."  —  Mary  Lyon. 

WE  have  recently  found  an  old  family  register,  in 
which  is  the  following  entry  :  "Jemima  Shep- 
ard,  born  January  2oth,  1765."  When  this  record 
Avas  found,  there  lay  close  by  it  a  little  manuscript 
book,  with  a  coarse  brown  paper  cover,  so  unlil  e 
any  thing  of  the  present  day,  that  it  might  be  sup- 
posed to  have  had  its  origin  in  the  17th  century. 
On  opening  the  book,  we  find  that  it  was  written 
by  this  same  Jemima,  in  her  words,  "  for  her  own 
meditation."  It  carried  us  back  to  the  time,  when, 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  she  opens  before  us  her  home 


10  RECOLLECTIONS    OF    MARY    LYOX. 

among  the  hills  of  Western  Massachusetts,  and  an 
evening  hour  when  she  is  watching  for  the  return 
of  her  parents  from  a  neighboring  meeting.  She 
says :  "  They  came,  telling  me  that  the  minister 
preached  very  powerfully,  that  some  were  struck 
under  concern,  and  in  particular  one  of  my  mates." 
She  adds :  "  This  was  the  first  thing  that  fast- 
ened  with  any  weight  on  my  mind.  I  thought 
she  was  going  to  be  taken  and  I  left.  I  knew  that 
I  stood  in  as  much  need  of  a  Saviour  as  she  did ;  but 
how  I  should  find  him,  I  could  not  tell."  She  was 
shown  how  to  find  him ;  but  not  till  she  had  seen 
what  an  evil  and  bitter  thing  is  the  sin  from  which 
he  saved.  "  Trying  to  pray,"  she  says,  "  God  ap- 
peared to  me  an  angry  and  frowning  judge."  She 
found  no  fault  with  this,  but  adds  :  "  I  saw  myself 
justly  condemned  by  his  holy  and  righteous  law." 
She  realized  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  striving  with 
her,  and  the  trembling  child  feared  lest  she  should 
grieve  him ;  for  she  says  :  "  I  saw  that  I  was  entirely 
helpless  without  the  Spirit  of  God."  But  she  was 
to  see  still  more  of  her  heart.  In  the  silent  hour  of 
a  night  when  she  was  alone  with  God,  she  says :  "  It 
appeared  to  me  that  Christ  was  offered  to  me,  if  I 
was  only  willing  to  accept  him  upon  the  terms  of 
the  gospel.  Then  I  looked  into  my  heart  and  said  to 
myself,  Are  you  willing  to  forsake  sin  and  vanity,  and 


PARENTAGE  AND    CHILDHOOD.  11 

all  the  pleasures  of  time  and  sense,  and  accept  of  Christ 
as  he  is  offered  to  you?  Then  my  stubborn  heart 
replied,  I  am  not  willing.  I  saw  my  dreadful,  stub- 
born will  against  God,  and  that  it  was  as  much 
impossible  for  me  to  bow  my  will  as  to  create  a 
world.  I  cried  out :  '  Lord,  bow  my  stubborn  will.' 
I  had  not  a  word  to  say  if  God  should  cast  me  off 
for  ever ;  for  Jesus  was  offered  to  me,  and  I  would 
not  accept."  She  saw  herself  an  enemy  to  God  and 
all  that  was  good,  and  with  no  power  to  help  her- 
self out  of  this  condition.  She  continued  to  cry 
unto  God  for  mercy,  and  with  such  a  view  of 
her  guilt,  that  she  says :  "  There  was  no  strength 
left  in  me."  "  Totally  lost,  totally  lost,"  was  all  that 
she  could  say  of  herself  as  she  sought  her  chamber 
one  day,  after  weeks  of  anguish.  She  lay  before 
her  God,  "  totally  lost."  And  "  there,"  she  says, 
"  my  load  of  guilt,  was  removed,  —  my  stubborn  will 
bowed.  I  breathed  in  a  new  air,  and  the  very  first 
breath  was  love  to  God  and  holiness.  I  could  not 
bear  to  sin  any  more,  and  I  felt  my  soul  drawn  out 
in  love  to  holiness,  because  God  is  holy,  and  to  love 
God,  because  he  is  just  such  a  God  as  he  is." 
For  about  a  week  she  delighted  herself  in  a  holy 
God,  when  there  came  a  season  of  deep  distress  and 
darkness.  She  had  not  as  yet  fully  learned  the  way 
to  her  Saviour.  Jesus  had  not  been  clearly  revealed  to 


12  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

her ;  but  lie  knew  her  as  his  own ;  and  there  was 
given  to  her,  to  use  her  own  words,  "  a  longing  after 
Christ, "  and  she  was  "  willing  to  receive  him  as 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King." 

She  now  delighted  herself  particularly  in  the  text, 
"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature ; "  and  says  of  it :  "I  stood  amazed  to 
think  the  gospel  was  preached  to  me,  whom  I  viewed 
to  be  the  vilest  of  Adam's  race.  But  why  not  be 
preached  to  all  the  rest,  and  I  left  out  ?  I  thought  .it 
would  be  so  just.  I  viewed  myself  so  vile.  But  here 
it  was,  — '  to  every  creature,'  —  and  therefore  to  me. 
Oh,  wonder  of  wonders  !  I  felt  my  soul  drawn  out 
in  love  to  this  glorious  Saviour,  who  had  died  to  save 
the  vilest  of  sinners.  I  wanted  to  praise  him  for  ever 
and  ever." 

Such  was  the  work  of  conviction,  and  such  the  en- 
trance of  light  into  the  heart  of  this  young  girl, 
whom  God  had  chosen,  and  was  now  preparing  to  be 
the  mother  of  Mary  Lyon.  As  she  went  on  in  the 
Christian  life,  she  makes  this  record  of  herself: 
"  Those  that  I  thought  loved  Jesus  appeared  to  me 
very  lovely  and  beautiful.  I  thought  they  were  the 
only  excellent  ones  of  the  earth,  in  whom  was  all  my 
delight ;  and  when  I  heard  the  word  preached,  my  soul 
would  feed  thereon."  She  adds,  in  charming  simplic- 
ity :  "  I  had  many  gracious  visits  from  my  blessed  and 


,];    AXD    CHILDHOOD.  13 

glorious  Redeemer.  The  word  of  God  appeared  very 
precious  to  me,  and  many  times  opened  with  abundance 
of  clearness  to  my  mind.  The  cry  of  my  soul  was, 
Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  " 

The  soul  commencing  the  Christian  life,  loving  God 
because  "  he  is  what  he  is,"  and  going  on  with  his 
word  opening  with  "  abundance  of  clearness,"  while 
the  Saviour's  "  gracious  visits  "  are  "  many,"  is  al- 
ways allowed  to  glorify  that  Saviour  on  earth.  And 
when  that  soul  comes  to  the  close  of  life,  the  Father 
will  not  chide  if  its  Redeemer's  words  are  made  its 
own  :  "  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest 
me  to  do." 

When  nineteen  years  of  age,  Jemima  Shepard  be- 
came the  wife  of  Aaron  Lyon.  He  seems  to  have 
very  closely  resembled  the  young  man  in  the  gospel. 
And  if  he  said  not  "  What  lack  I  yet?"  others  said 
it  of  him.  The  young  girl,  like  her  divine  Master, 
"  beholding  him,  loved  him ; "  but  she  said  to  him, 
"  One  thing  thou  lackest."  Love  never  blinded  her 
to  the  fact  that  "  one  thing "  was  wanting. 

Her  own  simple  record  of  her  feelings  is :  "I  had  a 
great  desire  for  my  companion,  that  he  might  believe 
in  Christ,  partake  of  the  gospel  feast,  and  travel  with 
me  on  my  heavenly  journey." 

When  she  first  saw  him  interested  in  the  subject  of 
religion,  she  adds :  "  I  was  in  great  distress  about  him. 
2 


11  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

I  was  afraid  that  his  convictions  would  wear  off  with- 
out sound  conversion."  It  was  sound  conversion,  no 
other,  that  she  desired,  and  for  this  she  prayed  most 
earnestly.  But,  before  it  was  granted,  she  was  led  to 
say  :  "  I  felt  willing  to  wait  upon  God  ;  "  and  her  ex- 
perience was  just  that  of  all  God's  waiting  ones,  for 
she  says  :  "  It  was  not  long  before  the  Lord  wrought 
wonders  and  brought  him  out  of  darkness  into  his  mar- 
velous light,  and  fulfilled  all  my  every  desire.  When 
I  saw  the  glory  shine  into  his  soul,  and  saw  him  so 
filled  with  the  love  of  God  that  he  could  not  forbear 
crying  out,  *  Glory  to  God,'  and  praising  him  with  all 
his  might,  I  felt  myself,  as  it  were,  shrink  into  nothing 
before  the  Lord.  I  viewed  the  mercy  so  great,  which 
I  had  received,  that  I  wanted  to  call  upon  the  angels  to 
praise  God  for  me,  for  I  thought  myself  utterly  un- 
worthy to  attempt  the  glorious  work  while  here  in  the 
body.  But  I  could  not  help  lisping  forth  some  broken 
accents  of  praise  to  God  for  his  wonderful  condescen- 
sion to  me,  a  poor,  unworthy,  nothing  creature." 

And  now  they  could  walk  together  in  all  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  blameless,  and  they  were  rich 
in  faith  and  good  works. 

It  was  to  such  parents  that  Mary  Lyon  was  given, 
in  1797.  That  was  a  year  of  rich  spiritual  blessing  to 
the  little  community  among  whom  they  resided. 

As  that  mother  folds  her  precious  child  in  her  arms 


PARENTAGE  AND  EDUCATION.  15 

she  says  :  "  I  hear  the  birda  of  Paradise  on  the  boughs 
3f  free  grace,  singing  redeeming  love.  My  soul  can 
•oin  in  the  blessed  song,  and  I  rejoice  to  see  the  work 
of  the  Lord  prosper  in  the  hands  of  the  glorious  Re- 
deemer." 

So  she,  who  was  to  labor  so  long  and  so  faithfully 
in  revivals,  began  her  existence  where  God  was  pouring 
out  his  Spirit,  and  she  was,  as  it  were,  prayed  into 
the  work  by  those  believing  parents. 

For  nineteen  years  Aaron  and  Jemima  Lyon 
walked  together  on  earth,  and  fifteen  of  those  years 
they  were  "  one  in  Christ."  Eight  children  were 
given  them,  all  of  whom  were  consecrated  to  the 
Lord,  while  one,  whom  Jesus  asked  to  be  with 
him,  became  the  "  family  treasure  in  heaven."  "  Lit- 
tle Ezra"  had  been  in  the  Saviour's  arms  six  months, 
when  Mary  was  welcomed  to  the  mountain  home,  as 
she  expressed  it,  "  to  feel  in  that  family  circle  the 
sweetly  chastening  influence  of  a  babe  in  heaven." 
She  ever  carried  this  with  her,  as  well  as  the  influence 
of  another  scene  "  where  there  were  sorrowing  hearts, 
bursting  sighs,  and  flowing  tears,"  because  death  had 
come  to  the  same  house  "  to  take  away  that  affection- 
ate husband,  that  kindest  of  fathers."  The  mother's 
manuscript  tells  us  how  he  said  in  his  last  days :  "  Oh, 
lay  me  near  my  Ezra  to  sleep !  Oh,  that  I  had 
strength  to  tell  you  what  the  Lord  has  done  for  me  ! " 


lo  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

And  her  own  words  shall  give  us  the  account  of  his 
last  Sunday  morning,  while  we  remember  that  Mary, 
then  the  child  of  six  years,  quietly  lingered,  not  only 
to  hear  and  treasure  every  word,  tmt  to  receive  an  im- 
pression upon  her  young  heart  that  she  was  to  give  to 
many  others. 

The  mother  writes :  "  He  said  to  me,  *  I  want  you 
to  forgive  me  whatever  you  have  seen  in  me  that  was 
wrong,  for  I  know  that  I  have  done  wrong  a  great 
many  times.'  I  said,  '  I  think  I  have  more  need 
to  ask  your  forgiveness  than  you  mine,  for  I 
think  I  have  been  most  out  of  the  way.'  *  Oh  ! '  said 
he,  '  I  can  freely  forgive  you,  I  have  nothing  against 
you.'  I  said,  '  I  have  nothing  against  you ;  I  can 
freely  forgive  you,  and  I  hope  the  Lord  will  forgive  us 
both  ;  and  I  hope  you  will  recover,  and  that  we  shall 
walk  together  as  heirs  of  the  grace  of  life,  that  our 
prayers  be  not  hindered.'  He  said :  '  Oh,  I  don't 
know  about  that !  I  wish  I  had  talked  more  to  you 
when  I  could.  But  you  must  not  be  too  much  cast 
down.' " 

During  all  that  day,  his  feelings  were  expressed  in 
his  own  words :  "  Let  me  rise  upon  the  mount  and 
wing  away." 

Monday,  the  last  day  of  his  life,  was,  in  the  words 
of  his  widow,  passed  in  speaking  in  holy  ejaculations 
to  God,  in  words  like  these  :  "  Thou  art  my  rock  and 


PARENTAGE  AND  CHILDHOOD.  17 

my  fortress,  my  high  tower  and  my  deliverer.  —  The 
name  of  Christ  is  as  ointment  poured  forth. — Virgin 
souls  love  thee.  —  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly." 

Tuesday  morning,  the  watching  mother  brought  the 
seven  children  to  their  dying  father.  The  little  one  of 
sixteen  months  in  the  sister's  arms  added  tenderness  to 
the  scene,  for  in  plaintive  tones  she  would  say,  "  Papa, 
papa,"  while  he  blessed  them  and  bade  them 

"  Closer  draw  that  gentle  chain 
Round  the  loved  who  yet  remain." 

They  stand  in  weeping  silence  to  see  their  mother 
draw  close  to  their  father's  side,  and  to  hear  her  say  : 
"  Are  you  willing  to  go  and  leave  me  to  pass  through 
the  troubles  and  trials  alone  ?  "  An  answer  is  heard 
in  the  father's  tender  question :  "  Do  you  feel  your 
cords  long  enough  and  strong  enough  to  wade  through 
the  river  alone  ?  "  She  and  they  heard  his  last  words, 
and  felt  that  he  had  gone  to  be  with  Christ.  They 
entered  "  December  21st,  1802, "  in  the  old  family 
Bible,  as  a  never-to-be-forgotten  day. 

The  mother  says :  "  I  was  constrained  to  say 
Amen  to  the  will  of  God,  though  my  nature  strug- 
gled hard  ;  I  seemed  to  but  just  survive  the  shock." 
As  she  stood  alone  she  said  :  "  Oh,  the  weight  that 
rolled  on  my  mind  for  my  dear  children,  and  how 
I  should  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admoni- 

2* 


18  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

tion  of  the  Lord."  Her  great  desire  was  that  the 
affliction  might  be  sanctified  to  her  and  to  them. 
But  she  tells  us  that  for  ten  weeks  she  prayed  in 
great  sorrow  and  with  mourning  and  weeping  before 
God.  Her  own  words  are :  "  The  grief  of  my  heart 
no  tongue  can  tell.  The  dearest  comfort  of  my  life 
taken  from  me,  I  felt  myself  stripped  of  all  earthly 
comforts,  and  my  Lord  hid  his  face  from  me."  She 
felt  that  she  could  bear  all  things  if  she  might  but 
once  more  feel  the  fullness  of  her  Saviour's  presence. 
And  she  tells  us  that  after  weeks  of  sorrow,  at  the 
communion-table,  he  was  made  known  to  her  in  the 
breaking  of  bread.  She  heard  him  say :  "  Return, 
O  backsliding  daughter,  for  I  am  married  to  thee ! " 

Now  she  had  new  and  precious  views  of  the  union  of 
believers  with  Christ  their  head.  In  relating  the  ex- 
perience of  those  days,  at  one  point  she  says :  "  The 
Spirit  of  God  worked  powerfully  upon  me.  I  wanted 
nothing  but  to  see  the  glory  of  God  and  see  and  feel 
his  Spirit  poured  out  more  and  more  on  myself  and 
others."  At  one  time  after  wrestling  for  hours  for 
souls,  she  tells  us  that  she  "  went  to  rest  and  slept  very 
quietly  till  some  time  in  the  night,  when,"  she  says, 
"  I  waked  with  these  words  running  through  my  mind 
with  great  sweetness,  Wonderful  —  Counselor  —  the 
mighty  God  —  the  everlasting  Father  —  the  Prince  of 


PARENTAGE  AND  CHILDHOOD.  19 

Peace.  I  can  not  describe  the  joy  and  peace  that  suc- 
ceeded." 

Miss  Lyon  valued  her  mother's  prayers  above  all 
earthly  treasures,  and  she  learned  their  worth  while  yet 
a  little  child,  when  that  mother  often  tarried  long  in  the 
closet,  and,  coming  forth,  would  sink  down  upon  her  bed 
exhausted,  while  the  older  sister  would  whisper  to  the 
little  ones,  "  I  think  there  is  going  to  be  an  awaken- 
ing." 

Eternity  alone  can  reveal  the  connection  between  the 
prayers  of  this  mother  in  Israel,  and  the  many  precious 
revivals  of  religion,  in  which  the  daughter  was  per- 
mitted to  labor.  Never  can  we  forget  the  deep  emo- 
tion of  that  daughter,  as  she  said,  in  1840,JfI  have 
no  longer  a  mother  to  pray  for  me  and  my  dear  pu- 
pils/' She  rests  from  her  prayers,  but  they  do  follow 


CHAPTER    II. 

Jponte  Duties  anfr  Crarahtg. 

GOD'S  WAYS  OF  PREPARING  HIS  PEOPLE  FOR  SERVICE — "THE  BACK 
BIDE  OF  THE  DESERT" — THE  THREE  CORNERS  —  THE  WIDOW  AND 
HER  HOME  —  THE  HOMESPUN  DRESS  —  SPINNING  AND  WEAVING  — 
HOUSEHOLD  DUTIES  —  THE  WIDOW'S  GARDEN  —  INFLUENCE  OF 
CHRISTIAN  HOMES  —  HER  MOTHER'S  RE-MARRIAGE  —  HER  ELDEST 
BROTHER  —  MARY  HIS  HOUSEKEEPER  —  HER  CONVERSION  AND 
CONSECRATION  TO  CHRIST. 

IN  a  letter  written  by  one  of  Miss  Lyon's  pupils 
long  years  since,  we  find  the  following :  "  I  have 
just  been  looking  out  the  passages  which  were  read  to 
us  this  morning  from  Miss  Lyon's  Bible  ;  and  when  she 
reads  to  us,  it  always  seems  to  me  that  there  are  treas- 
ures in  her  Bible  that  were  left  out  of  mine.  But  as 
usual  I  have  found  all,  and  here  they  are :  "  Now  Moses 
kept  the  flock  of  Jethro  his  father-in-law.  And 
Moses  was  content  to  dwell  with  the  man.  And  he 
led  the  flock  to  the  back  side  of  the  desert.  And 
when  forty  years  were  expired,  there  appeared  unto 
him  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  an  angel  of  the  Lord, 
in  a  flame  of  fire  in  a  bush.  The  same  Moses  did 

(20) 


HOME  DUTIES   AND    TRAINING.  21 

God  send  to  be  a  ruler  and  deliverer."  Her  subject 
was,  "  God's  ways  of  preparing  individuals  for  service 
in  his  church." 

She  said  :  "  When  God  has  a  great  work  for  any  one 
to  do  in  the  world,  he  usually  gives  him  a  peculiar 
training  for  it ;  and  that  training  is  just  what  no  earthly 
friend  would  choose  for  him,  and  sometimes  it  is  so  long 
continued  that  there  seems  to  us  to  be  but  little  time 
left  for  him  to  work.  We  should  not  have  led  Moses 
into  Midian  to  prepare  him  to  guide  a  nation,  and  cer- 
tainly we  should  not  have  left  him  there  forty  years. 
But  God  knew  that  the  life  of  the  humble  shep- 
herd, and  in  the  desert  too,  would  best  fit  him  to  lead 
his  people  like  a  flock,  and  that  he  needed  to  be  in 
that  school  no  less  than  forty  long  years  to  be  the  truly 
meek  Moses.  He  who  was  to  bring  water  out  of  the 
rock  for  all  Israel,  must  first  humble  himself  to  draw, 
and  perhaps  many  times,  water  fbr  the  sheep  of  the 
daughters  of  Jethro.  He  who  was  to  receive  offerings 
for  the  tabernacle  till  he  should  say,  *  Let  neither  man 
nor  woman  make  any  more  offering,'  must  needs 
know  what  some  of  these  cost,  by  seeing  the  daughters 
of  Midian  spin  and  dye  with  their  own  hands.  He 
must  have  long  years  of  quiet,  under  the  shadow  of 
Sinai,  for  meditation  on  the  character  of  God,  before 
he  could  meet  that  God  on  the  top  of  the  mount,  and 
there  receive  the  lively  oracles  to  give  unto  us. 


22  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYOX. 

"  I  can  not  tell  you,  young  ladies,  how  I  felt  while 
pondering  this  Scripture  this  morning.  It  did  seem  to 
me  most  delightful  to  feel  that  we  may  be  led  of  God 
all  the  time,  and,  like  Moses,  we  should  be  content 
with  the  place  where  he  bids  us  dwell.  I  doubt  not 
that  some  of  you  may  feel  that  you  have  been,  and 
even  now  are,  kept  back  from  the  greatest  usefulness. 
The  sickness  of  friends,  and  other  circumstances, 
may  have  hindered  you  in  your  studies,  and  may  be 
you  sometimes  long  for  wealth,  and  other  friends  to 
help  you  rise  in  life.  I  would  not  have  you  feel  thus, 
but  rather  use  very  carefully  all  that  the  Lord  gives 
you.  And  don't  be  afraid  of  the  '  back  side  of  the 
desert,'  and  never  think  you  are  forsaken  of  God  be- 
cause kept  long  there.  He  knows  just  how  much 
of  quiet,  humble  life  we  need  to  serve  him  in  the 
best  manner  hereafter.  The  man  who  cared  faith- 
fully for  the  sheep  in  the  desert,  led  Israel  to 
Canaan ;  and  he  who  kept  4  those  few  sheep  in  the 
wilderness '  was  afterwards  Israel's  king  and  sweet- 
est singer." 

We  can  hardly  feel  less  interest  in  Mary  Lyon's 
early  home,  where  Conway,  Ashfield,  and  Buckland 
made  the  "  Three  Corners,"  than  in  Moses  dwelling  in 
the  desert.  Her  twenty  years  in  that  "  mountain 
home  "  were  as  surely  the  Lord's  preparation  for  guid- 
ing the  thousands  of  the  daughters  of  America,  as 


SOME  DUTIES   AND   TRAINING.  23 

were  Moses'  forty  years  in  the  wilderness  a  prepara- 
tion for  leading  the  thousands  of  Israel.  In  that  pure 
mountain  air,  among  those  hills  and  streams  and  the 
rocks  and  the  trees,  she  acquired  that  physical  strength 
which  enabled  her  to  bear  a  pressure  of  labor  and  care 
in  after  life  that  might  have  carried  others  to  an  early 
grave.  And  there,  in  the  care  of  a  mother,  who,  she 
tells  us,  "  was  a  sort  of  presiding  angel  of  good  works 
in  all  that  little  neighborhood,  and  whose  cheerful 
spirit  helped  not  a  little  to  make  her  brow  as  noble 
and  as  lofty  at  forty  as  on  her  bridal  day,"  she 
learned  to  love  all,  and  to  have  so  much  of  cheerful- 
ness and  sunshine  in  her  heart,  that  Dr.  Hitchcock 
could  say,  after  thirty  years'  acquaintance :  "  Never  did 
I  see  a  cloud  on  her  countenance." 

That  "  wild,  romantic,  little  farm,  made  more  to 
feast  the  soul  than  to  feed  the  body,"  on  which  was 
that  little  mountain  home,  yielded  so  abundantly, 
under  the  widowed  mother's  care,  that  none  of  her 
seven  children  "  ever  thought  of  being  dependent  or 
depressed,"  least  of  all  the  sunny-faced  Mary. 

The  simple  school-day  dress,  so  neat  and  clean,  satis- 
fied her,  and  she  learned  its  worth  as  she  watched  the 
growing  flax,  and  later  saw  the  hired  man  or  her  own 
brother  break  and  swingle,  and,  may  be,  hatchel  it,  and 
then  saw  it  wound  upon  the  distaff  of  the  little  wheel, 
and  her  own  mother  spinning  the  web.  She  longed  to 


24  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MARY  LI' ON. 

help  her,  but  they  told  her  that  "  little  girls  must  learn 
to  spin  filling  before  warp  ;  "  and  so  the  mother  made 
the  warp,  and  Mary  the  filling,  at  "  the  great  wheel," 
from  the  rolls  that  had  been  carded  for  her.  Then 
came  the  day  for  dyeing  the  linen.  The  little  country 
store  furnished  the  indigo  or  copperas,  as  might  be 
called  for,  and  the  farm  contributed  other  excellent 
dye-stuffs,  in  the  form  of  birch-bark,  peach-leaves,  and 
smart-weed.  Then  she  saw  it  spooled  and  warped  and 
woven  in  the  loom  in  her  own  home,  where  she  could 
watch  that  same  mother  as  she  "  sprung  the  treadle," 
and  "  threw  the  shuttle,"  and  Mary  wound  all  the  quills 
till  the  work  was  done.  We  do  not  wonder  that  she 
was  satisfied  with  such  a  dress  for  those  bright  summer 
days  ;  and  then  the  winter  dress  was  of  hardly  less  inter- 
est to  her,  for  she  watched  the  sheep-shearing,  the  wool- 
picking  and  washing,  the  sending  of  the  wool  to  the 
carding-machine,  and  the  sacks  of  rolls  as  they  were 
returned.  Again  there  was  spinning,  in  which  Mary 
had  a  large  share.  Sometimes  that "  unhanding  wheel  " 
would  trouble  her ;  then  the  mother  would  sing  to  her, 

"  It's  not  in  the  wheel,  it's  not  in  the  band,  — 
It's  in  the  girl  who  takes  it  in  hand." 

And  so  the  girl  who  took  it  in  hand  learned  many  a 
valuable  lesson  for  life  at  the  wheel.  Weaving  again 
followed  spinning ;  the  cloth  was  sent  to  the  mill,  and 


HOME  DUTIES    AND     TRAINING.  25 

the  bright  red  flannel  came  home  for  the  winter  dress, 
in  which  she  was  never  afraid  of  the  snow.  The 
pretty  linen  aprons  of  blue  and  white  check,  from 
the  same  piece  with  the  mother'  short-gown,  more 
than  satisfied  her.  And  who  could  wish  better  shoes 
than  the  tanner  and  currier  and  neighborhood  shoe- 
maker produced  from  the  skin  of  their  own  fatted  calf? 

She  helped  her  mother  make  the  butter,  which 
they  sold  at  the  store  for  sixpence  a  pound,  to  buy  the 
"  rare  gift  of  the  Sunday  suit,  kept  expressly  for  the 
occasion,"  and  which,  she  says,  "  formed  an  era  in  the 
life  of  the  possessor,  and  was  remembered  with  grate- 
ful smiles  for  many  days  to  come."  She  helped  make 
the  blankets,  and  bedquilts  too,  and  last,  but  not  least, 
the  summer  and  winter  coverlet,  from  which,  she  used 
to  tell  us,  she  learned  many  a  valuable  lesson  in  the 
building  and  arranging  of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary. 

We  did  not  understand  all  she  said  about  it,  but  we 
remember  just  what  she  said  :  "  For  you  know,  young 
ladies,  it  had  a  blue  side  for  winter,  and  a  white  side 
for  summer,  so  we  could  use  it  all  the  year  round." 

She  was  learning  valuable  lessons  also,  as  she  stood 
by  her  mother's  side,  sorting  and  arranging  those  little 
autumnal  stores  that  were  to  travel  hand  in  hand 
through  the  long  winter,  like  the  barrel  of  meal  and 
cruse  of  oil  in  another  widow's  home  ;  and  when  there 
came  a  season  in  which  the  sugar-orchard  gave  only 
3 


2i)  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

fifty  pounds  of  maple-sugar  instead  of  the  two  hundred  it 
was  accustomed  to  give,  she  saw  that  even  that  would 
not  fail  before  the  warm  sun  and  the  sparkling  snow  told 
that  sugar-days  were  again  near.  Often  there  was  a 
pound  of  sugar,  a  basket  of  apples,  or  some  other  good 
thing  to  be  sent  to  one  who  had  failed  to  gather  manna 
enough  for  the  winter,  and  that  one  would  ask : 
"  How  is  it  the  widow  can  do  more  for  me  than  any 
one  else  ? "  We  find  the  answer  to  this  inquiry  in 
her  own  words,  which  thousands  have  heard  fall 
from  those  lips  that  ever  opened  in  wisdom :  "  Comfort 
and  economy,  good  taste,  and  true  Christian  liberality, 
may  be  found  together,  but  their  union  requires  rare 
forethought  and  good  judgment."  "  Never  destroy 
any  thing  that  God  has  made,  or  given  skill  to  others 
to  make."  "  Never  think  any  thing  worthless  till  it 
has  done  all  the  good  it  can."  "  Economy  and  self- 
denial  are  the  two  great  springs  which  feed  the  foun- 
tains of  benevolence.  Practice  them  for  Christ's 
sake,  but  talk  very  little  about  them."  "  Be  very 
thankful  for  a  little,  and  you  will  receive  the  more." 

The  sweet  little  garden,  loved  as  soon  as  seen,  was 
proverbial  in  that  section,  and  more  than  one  asked  to 
place  rare  plants  in  it,  "  because  nothing  ever  died  in 
widow  Lyon's  garden."  There  was  a  lesson  learned 
there,  which  led  her  in  after  years  to  care  for  every 
plant  in  her  garden  ;  and  not  a  few  felt  that  what  they 


I1U ME    DUTIES    AND    TRAINING.  27 

placed  there  must  live  for  ever.  She  tells  us  that  "  the 
roses,  the  pinks,  and  peonies,  which  keep  time  with  Old 
Hundred,  could  nowhere  grow  so  fresh  and  so  sweet  as 
in  that  little  garden."  "  And  nowhere  else,  did  she 
ever  see  wild  strawberries  in  such  profusion  and 
richness  as  were  gathered  in  those  little  baskets." 
"  Nowhere  else  were  rare-ripes  so  large  and  so  yellow, 
and  never  were  peaches  so  delicious  and  so  fair  as 
grew  on  the  trees  of  that  little  farm ;  and  the  apples 
too  contrived  to  ripen  before  all  others,  so  as  to  meet 
in  sweet  fellowship  with  peaches  and  plums,  to  enter- 
tain the  aunts  and  the  cousins."  Where,  better  than 
there,  could  she  have  learned  that  comfort  may  be 
found  closely  joined  with  economy  and  liberality  ? 

There  was  not  a  nook  or  corner  of  that  little  farm 
or  house  which  was  not  loved  by  Mary,  and  from 
which  she  did  not  draw  lessons  for  the  future.  A 
few  years  before  she  was  called  to  her  heavenly  home, 
she  wrote  :  "  How  sweet  did  I  find  it  once  more  to  lin- 
ger around  the  dearest  scenes  of  that  loved  spot,  long 
since  laid  up  among  the  cherished  jewels  of  memory's 
most  sacred  casket !  "  She  thanked  God  that  her  father 
was  spared  to  her  for  six  years.  It  was  a  brief  period, 
to  be  sure,  but  none  of  us,  who  have  ever  heard  her 
talk  of  a  father's  love  can  doubt  her  feeling  its  sacred 

D 

influence;  and  we  believed  that  her  little  heart  had 
trusted  and  obeyed  a  father  too,  when  we  heard  her 


28  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

say :  "  Young  ladies,  be  very  slow  to  depart  from  a 
Christian  father's  counsel.  In  your  father  you  have  a 
divinely  appointed  safeguard  ;  trust  him,  lean  upon 
him,  and  there  learn  your  relation  to  your  heavenly 
Father.  If  you  can  lose  your  will  in  your  father's, 
you  will  much  more  easily  say,  *  Not  my  will,  but 
thine  be  done,  my  Father  in  heaven.' ': 

She  often  said  to  her  pupils :  "  There  is  nothing 
more  pleasant  on  earth  than  a  cultivated,  refined,  well- 
organized  Christian  family."  She  knew  well  the 
blessed  influence  of  such  a  family,  for  she  says  of  her 
home  :  "  Nothing  there  was  left  to  take  its  own  way. 
Every  thing  was  made  to  yield  to  the  mother's  faithful, 
diligent  hand.  Early  and  late  she  was  engaged  in  the 
culture  of  the  olive-plants  around  her  table."  As  she 
watched  her,  she  found,  to  use  her  own  words,  that 
"  a  mother,  whose  time  and  thoughts  are  necessarily 
engrossed  with  the  care  of  her  family,  may  yet  have 
much  enjoyment  in  God." 

When  the  Christian  father  had  gone  to  his  rest, 
there  was  still  a  family  altar  in  that  house,  though 
Mary  calls  it  a  "  bereaved  family  altar,"  but  adds : 
"  What  child  of  that  household  can  ever  forget  the 
extraordinary  prayers  of  that  sorrowing  mother  for 
the  salvation  of  her  fatherless  children,  as  they  were 
offered  up  day  by  day  through  that  first,  long,  cold 
winter  of  widowhood  ?  "  As  one  after  another  of  those 


HO.MJ-:   DUTIES    AND    TRA1XL\<;.  29 

dear  children  were  brought  to  Christ,  till  they  could 
not  only  say  We  are  seven,  but  We  are  seven  in  the 
fold,  that  mother's  agonizing  prayers  were  remembered 
even  by  Mary,  then  the  little  one  of  six  years.  We 
seem  to  see  that  mother,  in  what  we  once  heard  Miss 
Lyon  say  in  her  school :  "  Our  grandmothers  were  not 
house-keepers  only.  True,  they  read  but  few  books, 
but  they  read  those  thoroughly,  thought  deeply,  and 
many  of  them  had  much  mental  culture."  Miss  Lyon 
always  desired  to  make  her  schools  strictly  family 
schools,  for  she  said :  "  Young  ladies  can  nowhere  be 
so  well  cared  for  as  in  the  family.  There  the  govern- 
ment may  be  so  mild,  yet  so  undeviating  and  inflexible, 
that  there  will  only  be  advice  on  the  part  of  the  par- 
ents, and  compliance  on  the  part  of  the  child."  This 
gives  another  picture  of  that  home,  and  we  have  yet 
another  when  she  looks  back  and  says :  "  I  can  see 
through  a  veil  of  forty  years,  in  that  mountain  home, 
growing  on  the  perennial  stalk  of  great  principles,  the 
buddings  of  sentiments,  of  customs,  and  of  habits, 
which,  if  spread  over  the  country  and  fanned  by  the 
gentle  breezes  of  intelligence,  influence,  and  Christian 
sympathy,  would  produce  a  rich  and  abundant  harvest 
to  the  treasury  of  the  Lord."  And  we  may  add,  they 
have  produced  not  only  a  rich  harvest  for  the  treasury 
of  the  Lord,  but  abundant  fruit  for  the  garner  of  eter- 
nal life. 

3* 


30  RECOLLECTIONS    OF    MARY  LYON. 

Mary  loved  and  honored  her  mother  ;  and  she  only 
asks  her  pupils  to  be  like  herself,  when  she  says :  "  Let 
your  letters  to  your  mother  be  a  picture  of  a  warm- 
hearted, loving,  confiding  daughter.  Bestow  your 
choicest  expressions  of  affection  upon  your  mother." 
With  such  feelings,  we  do  not  wonder  that  her  young 
heart  was  tried  to  have  that  mother  leave  the  mountain 
home,  in  1810,  when  Mary  was  only  thirteen  years  of 
age,  take  her  two  little  sisters  with  her,  assume  another 
name,  and  find  her  abode  in  Ashfield.  We  never 
heard  her  speak  of  this  but  once,  and  then  she  said :  "I 
would  not  let  it  make  me  unhappy.  I  found  I  could 
love  my  new  father  ;  he  was  very  kind  to  me.  My 
mother  was  relieved  of  much  care.  I  really  became 
very  happy."  The  experience  of  her  early  life  led  her 
to  feel  most  tenderly  for  the  widow  and  fatherless,  and 
she  often  said :  "  I  do  not  wonder  God  speaks  so  fre- 
quently of  them."  Oh !  how  her  face  used  to  glow 
with  more  of  heaven  than  earth  when  she  added  :  "  My 
father  and  mother  forsook  me,  but  the  Lord  took  me 
up." 

After  her  mother's  marriage,  she  learned,  as  never 
before,  the  worth  of  her  only  and  older  brother.  For 
nine  years  her  home  was  with  him  at  the  old  home- 
stead. She  could  say  most  truly,  "  For  me  he  careth ;  " 
and  she  no  less  carefully  sought  to  make  his  interests 
her  own.  Before  his  marriage,  and  when  only  fifteen 


HOME  DUTIES  AND   TRAINING.  31 

years  of  age,  she  was  his  house-keeper.  She  performed 
all  the  work  of  that  farm-house,  and  he  gave  her  a  dol- 
lar a  week  for  it.  If  we  remember  rightly,  he  paid 
her  all  in  silver  dollars.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  we 
know  she  used  to  say :  "  I  never  saw  any  such  dollars 
before,  nor  have  I  since.  They  were  mine,  and  my 
dear  brother  had  given  them  to  me.  I  did  weep  over 
them."  After  his  marriage,  she  was  still  a  member  of 
his  family,  and  no  one  was  more  welcome  there  than 
Mary.  In  those  nine  years  with  that  brother  she 
learned  much  of  Jesus,  the  elder  Brother.  As  we 
have  heard  her  talk  of  him  with  streaming  eyes,  and 
been  led  by  her  to  look  to  a  Brother  in  heaven  on  our 
Father's  right  hand,  we  have-said :  "  It  is  a  blessed  thing 
to  be  led  of  God  to  the  back  side  of  the  desert,  for  that 
is  surely  close  by  the  mount  of  holy  vision." 

She  often  said  to  us  :  "  We  must  follow  the  family 
plan  if  we  would  have  a  good  school.  In  the- family 
we  get  the  first  ideas  of  right  and  wrong,  and  there 
the  most  correct  ideas  of  mutual  relations,  of  obedience 
to  authority,  of  treating  equals  with  respect  and  affec- 
tion." And  then  she  would  add  :  "  We  thank  God  that 
the  last  thing  sin  can  do  is  to  break  up  the  family  circle. 
It  is  wonderful  how  much  better  we  are  made  by  these 
family  relations.  The  little  child  makes  the  father  a 
better  man,  and  the  excellences  of  a  woman  are  no- 
where so  marked,  and  they  nowhere  shine  so  beauti- 


32  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

fully,  as  in  the  wife  and  mother."  Then,  with  a  seem- 
ing glimpse  of  the  great  family  in  heaven,  she  would 
say :  "  If  there  is  so  much  that  is  delightful  where  there 
is  sin,  what  must  that  state  be,  where  there  is  no  more 
sin  !  What  hallowed,  what  sublime  affections  shall  we 
behold  there  ! " 

In  her  brother's  family  she  found  great  comfort  in 
caring  for  his  children,  and  it  was  a  sore  trial  to  her 
to  give  them  up  in  1819,  when  they  removed  to  West- 
ern New  York.  We  are  thankful  that  she  could  have 
them  so  long  with  her,  and,  as  she  used  to  say  of  others, 
"  become  more  Christ-like  by  loving  little  children." 
The  infant  of  a  few  days,  or  even  hours,  was  very  pre- 
cious in  her  sight.  We .  seem  even  now  to  see  her 
bending  over  her  sister's  sick  and  dying  bed,  whose 
babe  had  preceded  her  to  the  eternal  world,  and  say- 
ing :  "  Be  thankful,  dear,  that  you  have  given  another 
little  one  for  the  ransomed  throng." 

It  was  a  beautiful  Sabbath  afternoon  of  May,  1816, 
in  which  Mary  Lyon  first  said,  with  full  heart, 
"  Abba,  Father,"  "  Jesus  my  Saviour."  Her  home 
was  there  in  the  humble  cottage  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill.  She  had  that  day,  as  was  her  wont,  mingled 
with  the  worshippers  in  the  little  Baptist  church  of 
the  Three  Corners.  Good  old  Elder  Smith  talked, 
both  morning  and  afternoon,  of  the  character  and 
government  of  God.  At  the  close  of  the  last  service, 


HOME  DUTIES  AND   TRAINING.  33 

the  silver-haired  man  rose  to  bless  his  flock.  He 
gazed  upon  them  for  a  moment  with  more  than  pa- 
ternal interest,  and  then  said,  with  deep  solemnity : 
"  Remember,  my  friends,  it  is  a  fearful  thing,  and  a 
very  wicked  thing  too,  not  to  love  such  a  God  as  I 
have  told  you  about  to-day."  The  fatherly  hand 
was  raised,  —  there  was  heard,  "  Grace,  mercy,  and 
peace  be  with  you  all"  —  and  the  congregation  scat- 
tered. Mary  took  the  "  wild,  winding  way  "  to  her 
home.  She  trod  that  way  but  slowly,  for  her  heart 
was  too  full  for  a  hurried  footstep.  As  she  approached 
the  dwelling,  an  inexpressible  feeling  of  tenderness 
stole  over  her.  She  remembered  a  scene  in  the 
"  north  room,"  thirteen  years  before,  when,  a  little 
child  of  six  years,  she  heard  her  dying  father  say 
with  faltering  voice  :  "  My  dear  children,  —  what  shall 
I  say  to  you,  my  children  ?  God  bless  you,  my  chil- 
dren !  "  —  and  then  he  was  parted  from  them  to  enter 
into  the  fullness  of  blessing.  The  never-to-be-forgot- 
ten prayers  of  her  mother  passed  before  her,  and  she 
exclaimed  :  "  Why  should  I  not  be  blessed  of  my  par- 
ents' God  ?  "  —  and  turned  away  from  her  home  to 
the  hill-side,  to  be  alone  with  the  eternal  One.  She 
dwelt  upon  his  wisdom,  holiness,  mercy,  and  justice, 
till  peace  came  to  her  troubled  soul,  and  she  ex- 
claimed :  "  O  God  !  thy  ways  are  perfect ;  be  thou  my 


34  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MAR  Y  L  YOX. 

Father,  and   the  guide  of  my  youth,  my  everlasting 
portion." 

Her  heart  now  melted  in  love  to  him  who  had 
brought  her  to  his  Father  and  her  Father,  and,  led  by 
that  elder  Brother,  she  went  to  the  hill-top  near  by. 
She  looked  thence  upon  the  far-off  mountains  in  all 
their  grandeur,  on  the  deep  valleys  with  the  widely 
extended  plains,  and  the  smiling  villages  below,  and 
then  thought  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and,  to 
use  her  own  words,  "  longed  to  lay  them  all  at  the 
feet  of  Him  who  had  redeemed  her."  Twelve  veal's 
afterward  she  wrote :  "  I  remember  that  moment  as 
though  it  were  but  yesterday."  As  well  she  might ; 
for  then,  and  there,  she  was  not  only  born  anew,  but 
baptized  into  a  love  for  souls  which  made  her  so  much 
like  her  divine  Master  that  she  was  continually  strait- 
ened till  her  thirty-three  years  of  labor  for  souls  were 
accomplished,  and  she  beheld  her  Father,  God,  and 
Saviour  in  unvailed  glory. 


CHAPTER     III. 

• 
&8?Jg    School   pans. 

MARY'S   FIRST  SCHOOL  —  "BOARDING   ROUND'' — HER  .POPULARITY  — 

HER  WAGES  —  TUK  SECRET  OF  GOVERNMENT —  IS  A  PUPIL  IN  SANDER 
SON'S  ACADEMY  —  SUPPORTS  HERSELF  BY  LABOR  —  LEAKNS  THE 
LATIN  GRAMMAR  IN  THREE  DAYS  —  "  WINGS  POTATOES" —  RECEIVES 
TUITION  FREE  —  IN  AMHERST  ACADEMY  — STUDY  OF  THE  SCIENCES  — 
HER  UNSELFISHNESS  —  MEMORIES  OF  THOSE  SCHOOL-DAYS  PRESERVED 
—  CHILDREN  OF  HER  SCHOOLMATES  SENT  TO  BE  HER  PUPILS. 

MARY  commenced  her  work  as  a  teacher  when 
about  seventeen  years  of  age,  at  Shelburne 
Falls,  Mass.  She  was  paid  seventy-five  cents  per 
week  for  her  services,  and  received  in  addition  her 
board.  But  it  was  understood  that  she  was  to  "  board 
round."  And  she  used  in  after  years  to  tell  her 
pupils  how  happy  she  was  in  dividing  up  her  school 
term,  and  finding  that  she  must  board  "just  five  days 
for  each  scholar  ;  "  and  how,  when  one  family  was  not 
quite  ready  to  have  the  school-ma'am  come  to  board, 
another  was,  and  so  her  bread  was  always  sure. 

We  have  loved  to  listen  to  those  parents  as  they 
have  told  us  how  "  she  helped  the  children  so  much  out 
of  school  that  they  would  not  have  cared  much,  if  they 

(35) 


36  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

had  boarded  her  all  the  time  for  nothing."  She  was 
in  families  where  they  sought  wool  and  flax,  and 
wrought  willingly ;  where  hands  were  laid  to  the 
spindle  and  held  the  distaff;  and  where  they  made 
their  own  fine  linen.  The  new  teacher  rose  rapidly 
in  the  estimation  of  her  employers,  when  it  was  whis- 
pered in  the  neighborhood  that  she  had  been  teaching 
one  of  the  daughters  how  to  bring  out  damask  from 
the  old  hand-loom.  She  could  tell  her  how  to  "  draw 
in  "  the  web  into  the  old  twine  "  harness,"  never  fail- 
ing to  put  "  front  wing,"  "  back  wing,"  and  "  middle 
wing,"  in  their  right  place.  That  daughter  soon  after 
found  a  home  in  a  distant  part  of  our  country,  but 
she  always  loved  to  speak  of  Mary  Lyon,  and  to  tell 
her  children  how,  when  in  trouble  with  her  tangled 
web,  she  said  to  her :  "  Perhaps  I  can  help  you,  —  I'll 
try."  The  lady  was  not  surprised  to  hear  in  after 
years  of  her  success  in  teaching,  —  of  her  winning 
hearts  to  herself  and  to  Christ ;  for  she  said :  "  Even 
then  she  was  so  full  of  benevolence  we  were  all  drawn 
to  her,"  and  she  might  have  added  Miss  Lyon's  own 
remark  :  "  The  same  amount  of  talent  will  rise  higher 
with  benevolence." 

But  the  teacher  was  not  as  well  satisfied  with  her 
success  as  were  her  employers,  and  she  has  told  us 
that  she  resolved  many  times,  during  that  long  summer, 
if  once  safely  through,  never  to  teach  again.  She 


EARLY  SCHOOL  DAI'S.  37 

devised  her  way,  but  the  Lord  directed  her  steps. 
She  continued  this  occupation,  and  years  afterward 
was  accustomed  to  say  to  her  pupils :  "  If  you  com- 
mence teaching,  and  do  not  succeed,  teach  till  you  do 
succeed."  She  ever  thanked  the  Lord  that  she  began 
her  experience  in  this  capacity,  "  boarding  round,"  Aid 
feeling  that  she  was  worth  only  three  dollars  a  month. 

With  such  a  beginning,  always  giving  herself  unre- 
servedly to  her  pupils,  and,  after  going  to  South  Had- 
ley,  never  receiving  more  than  two  hundred  dollars  per 
year,  she  could  well  say :  "  Ladies  should  not  expect  a 
large  compensation  for  teaching.  They  should  go  into 
the  work  with  the  same  motives  with  which  the  servant 
of  the  Lord  goes  into  the  ministry."  Sometimes  she 
would  so  talk  to  her  pupils  of  the  blessedness  of  teach- 
ing, the  reward  in  heaven,  and  the  reward  even  on 
earth,  in  the  love  of  grateful  hearts,  that  it  would  seem 
to  them  a  most  delightful  privilege  to  give  their  lives 
to  teaching.  Perhaps  at  this  point  she  would  add  : 
"  I  hardly  expect  many  of  you  to  give  your  lives  to 
teaching ;  but  she  who  can  teach  well,  control  the 
minds  of  the  young  happily  and  rightly,  is  all  the  bet- 
ter prepared  for  every  sphere  to  which  a  lady  can  be 
called.  But  if  you  teach,  never  expect  to  govern 
others  till  you  can  govern  yourself." 

Her  one  power  in  controlling  pupils  was  found  here. 
She  had  learned,  in  that  mountain  home,  to  yield  her 


38  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY    LYON. 

own  will  to  others,  and  feeling  that  she  had  not  at- 
tained, or  was  already  perfect,  she  went  on  practicing 
her  own  maxim  :  "  Self-control  is  never  perfect,  till  we 
can  cheerfully  meet  our  own  government.  Nor  is  a 
child  really  governed  till  he  can  smile  under  govern- 
ment." She  had  herself  smiled  under  her  mother's 
authority,  and  afterward  been  delighted  with  God's 
government,  exclaiming,  "  It  is  perfect !  "  and  now  her 
first  little  pupils  smiled  under  hers ;  while  many  have 
been  made  happy  for  life  and  for  eternity,  because  they 
learned  with  her,  "  It  is  easier  to  obey  God  than  any 
one  else." 

We  are  not  aware  that  Miss  Lyon  had  herself  at- 
tended any  other  than  just  such  a  district  school  as 
the  one  she  taught  herself,  till  the  autumn  of  1817. 
Then  she  entered  Sanderson's  Academy,  Ashfield. 
Her  scanty  means  would  not  allow  of  her  paying  for 
both  board  and  tuition  here ;  so  she  sought  to  defray 
the  expense  of  the  former  by  the  labor  of  her  own 
hands. 

Here  she  so  distinguished  herself  as  a  scholar  that  it 
was  not  teachers  and  pupils  alone  that  honored  and 
spoke  to  one  another  of  her.  "  That  Mary  Lyon  " 
was  talked  of  all  over  Ashfield  Plains.  It  was  even 
then  matter  of  speculation  what  manner  of  woman  she 
would  be  who  could  learn  the  Latin  grammar  in  three 
days,  and  be  able  to  recite  in  almost  every  class  in  school. 


EARLY   SCHOOL    DAYS.  39 

It  is  said  that  a  good  man  in  the  place  one  morning 
met  the  gentleman  with  whom  she  boarded,  when  he 
said  :  "  Well,  this  Mary  Lyon  is  a  wonderful  girl, —  isn't 
she  ?  They  say  that  none  of  the  boys  can  keep  up 
with  her.  But  how  is  it  about  her  work  ?  Does  she 
really  do  any  thing,  or  do  you  just  about  give  her  her 
board  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  her  friend,  "  Mary  wings  the  potatoes  ! " 
We  do  not  exactly  know  whefher  he  intended  to 
praise  her,  but  he  opens  to  us  the  good,  old-fashioned 
farm-house  where  she  boarded ;  the  great  open  fireplace 
with  its  generous  back-log,  and  fine  bed  of  hot  ashes 
in  front,  where  the  potatoes  were  often  and  well  roasted. 
We  can  see  her,  wing  in  hand,  bending  over  the  smok- 
ing pile  of  potatoes,  just  unburied,  and  winging  each  so 
well  that  no  one  who  sat  at  that  table  wished  there 
was  a  better  way  to  cook  their  potatoes. 

Many  will  ever  thank  the  good  people  of  Ashfield 
who  gave  her  potatoes  to  wing  ;  and  more  will  thank 
the  noble  trustees  of  Sanderson  Academy,  who  subse- 
quently gave  her  free  tuition,  when  she  was  about  to 
return  to  spinning  and  weaving,  to  help  her  go  forward 
in  her  studies.  She  felt  herself  in  no  small  degree 
indebted  to  them  and  other  Ashfield  friends,  from 
whom  she  says :  "  I  received  many  acts  of  unfeigned 
friendship  while  creeping  my  way  along  toward  a  hum- 
ble place  in  my  Master's  service." 


40  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

Mary  Lyon  always  remembered  with  interest  a  term 
in  Amherst  Academy,  where  her  love  for  the  study  of 
the  sciences  was  gratified  beyond  what  it  had  been  in 
any  previous  school.  She  gathered  knowledge  there, 
as  her  room-mate  said  she  afterward  did  in  Byfield, 
"  by  handfulls."  She  delighted  herself  particularly  in 
chemistry  while  in  Amherst,  as  she  did  later  with  Pro- 
fessor Eaton  in  Troy  ;  and  those  who  were  privileged 
to  study  it  with  her  in  after  years  knew  she  had  learned 
it  well.  They  can  never  forget  those  successful  experi- 
ments, those  clear  explanations ;  and  they  love  still  to 
refer  to  their  seventy  pages  of.  notes  on  "  Miss  Lyon's 
chemical  lectures,"  found  in  the  marble-covered  books 
of  her  time.  And  there  are  other  marble-covered 
books  which  show  how  she  turned  from  lecture-room 
to  hall,  there  to  dwell  more  impressively  than  ever  on 
the  character  of  the  wonderful  God,  and  the  blessed- 
ness of  dwelling  for  ever  with  him,  studying  those  ways 
which  are  now  past  finding  out. 

Mary  Lyon  found  time,  and  had  a  heart,  for  kindness 
as  well  as  study,  when  in  Amherst.  She  always  de- 
lighted there,  as  she  had  done  elsewhere,  to  aid  those 
less  successful  in  study  than  herself.  She  chose  some 
retired  place  for  doing  it,  and  it  was  always  in  a  way 
that  made  the  person  aided  feel  that  she  would  be  glad 
to  have  her  know  all  she  knew.  A  daughter  of  one 
who  was  a  member  of  Amherst  Academy  with  Miss 


KMiLY   SCHOOL    DAYS.  41 

Lyon  says :  "  When  a  little  girl,  my  motlier  used  to  sit 
and  tell  us  about  Mary  Lyon  at  school.  She  would 
make  us  see  just  how  she  looked  in  her  linsey-woolsey 
dress,  and  how  ready  she  was  to  give  a  kind  look  and 
a  loving  heart  to  every  one.  She  was  always  to  be 
found,  out  of  school  hours,  in  her  favorite  corner, 
studying  as  hard  as  she  could,  but  ready  to  help  every 
one  that  cared  to  be  helped.  If  any  one  wished  to 
change  her  seat  in  the  school-room',  '  Oh  !  I  will  change 
with  you,  —  I  would  like  to  do  it,  if  you  prefer  my  seat,' 
would  be  heard  from  Mary  Lyon's  lips.  If  there  was 
an  undesirable  seat-mate  in  all  the  school,  she  was 
always  ready  to  sit  by  her,  and  help  her  on  her  way, 
even  though  it  was  on  a  window-seat ;  and  mother 
would  add :  '  Do  you  wonder,  my  little  girls,  that  we 
all  loved  and  respected  Mary  Lyon  ?  ' : 

When  that  mother  came  to  die,  one  of  her  last  re- 
quests was :  "  Send  my  daughters  to  Mary  Lyon's 
school."  Many  a  father  has  heard  the  same  request 
from  his  departing  companion.  We  know  of  one,  an 
Israelite  indeed,  who  has  successively  placed  six  daugh- 
ters under  her  instruction  because  their  mother,  with 
heaven  in  full  view,  said  :  "  Promise  me  that  these  dear 
girls  shall  be  placed  in  Miss  Lyon's  school."  The 
father  promised  and  fulfilled ;  and  the  last  of  the  six 
daughters  there  learned  to  love  the  Saviour  a  few 
weeks  before  Miss  Lyon  went  to  be  with  the  sainted 


42  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

mother.  It  often  seemed  as  if  there  was  not  a  school 
on  earth  where  were  so  many  daughters  of  mothers 
passed  into  heaven.  And  when  we  saw  the  truly  ma- 
ternal love  there  given  them,  we  did  not  wonder  that 
the  dying  mother,  with  her  eye  upon  Jesus  and  her 
hand  already  in  his,  should  have  been  directed  by  him 
to  whisper  Mary  Lyon's  name  as  the  guardian  of  her 
children  on  earth. 

More  than  once,  when  some  one  of  Miss  L.'s  young 
teachers  would  beg  that  some  wayward  girl  might  be 
removed  from  school,  have  we  heard  the  reply  with 

tears  in  her  eyes  :  "  Do  you  know 's  mother  was  a 

very  dear  friend  of  mine.  I  seem  to  hear  her  ask  me 
from  heaven  if  I  can  not  do  a  little  more  for  her  child. 

Do  you  not  think,  Miss ,  you  can  bear  with  her  a 

little  longer  ? "  And  then  her  countenance  would 
light  up,  and  she  would  add :  "  She  is  a  child  of 
prayer.  Don't  forget  that."  One  loved  to  labor,  en- 
couraged by  such  words ;  and  many  of  those  daugh- 
ters have  been  blessed  in  "  Mary  Lyon's  school." 
But  the  seeds  of  this  blessing  were  sown  when  Miss 

O 

Lyon  was  the  self-sacrificing,  self-forgetting  pupil  in 
Buckland,  Ashfield,  Amherst,  and  Byfield ;  and  it 
was  doubtless  in  remembrance  of  those  days  that  she 
used  to  say  to  us  in  after  years  :  "  Young  ladies,  never 
ask  to  live  simply  for  yourselves.  Live  for  the  good  of 
others,  and  you  will  find  your  cup  of  happiness  run- 


EARLY    SCHOOL    DAYS.  48 

ning  over,  even  in  this  world  ;  and  oh,  what  will  it  be 
in  heaven  !  Be  willing  to  do  any  thing  and  go  any 
whore  for  the  good  of  others,  and  remember  that  you 
are  responsible  for  elevating  the  character  of  every  one 
with  whom  you  have  to  do." 


CHAPTER     IV. 
aivtr 


ADVICE  ON  THE  LATE  COMPLETION  OF  AN  EDUCATION  —  OPPOSITION  TC 
MISS  LYON'S  GOING  TO  BYFIKLD—  HER  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  JOUR- 

NEY      THITHER  —  HOME-SICKNESS  —  MR.      EMERSON'S      INSTRUCTIONS 

—  HIS     RESPECT     FOR   WOMAN'S    TALENTS  —  HIS   VIEW   OF   HER   PROP- 
ER   STATION  —  THE  TRUE   OBJECT  OF   AN    EDUCATION,   "TO   DO  GOOD  " 

—  HKTURN   TO    ASHFIELD  —  TEACHING    IN    SANDERSON'S    ACADEMY  — 
PROFESSION  OF  RELIGION  —  ENGAGEMENT  WITH   MISS   GRANT   IN    DER- 
RY,   N.    H.  —  PRINCIPLES  INTRODUCED   INTO    THE    SCHOOL  —  STUDY   OF 
THE   8CRIPTDEES  —  ATTACHMENT  TO   MISS   G. 

IN  1821,  when  Mary  was  twenty-four  years  of  age, 
she  found  her  way  to  Byfield,  Mass.,  to  enjoy  the 
instructions  of  Rev.  Joseph  Emerson,  principal  of  By- 
field  Academy.  It  should  here  be  said  that  Miss  Lyon 
did  not  advise  young  ladies  under  her  care  ordinarily 
to  defer  completing  their  education  to  so  late  a  period. 
She  used  to  say  to  us  :  "  I  don't  want  you  to  spin  and 
weave  because  I  did.  It  was  best  for  me  to  do  it  ;  but 
you  may  be  thankful  that  this  necessity  is  removed, 
and  that  you  may  be  able  to  finish  your  studies  earlier, 
and  thus  have  more  time  to  work  for  the  Lord.  I 
thank  God  every  day  for  the  hope  and  the  expectation, 
too,  that  you  will  do  a  great  deal  more  than  I  have 

(44) 


AT  BYFIELD  AND  DERRY.  45 

done  in  the  world  ;  "  and  the  dear  woman's  face  would 
shine  when  she  said  this,  something  as  we  imagine 
Moses'  to  have  shone  when  he  came  down  from  the 
mount ;  but,  like  him,  she  knew  it  not. 

But  we  were  speaking  of  Mr.  E.'s  school  at  Byfield. 
Like  other  good  things,  it  cost  Miss  Lyon  a  great  deal 
to  go  there,  not  only  of  money,  but  of  the  richest 
treasures  of  the  heart.  When  she  first  proposed  "  to 
go  to  Byfield  to  school,"  she  hardly  found  a  friend  to 
encourage  her  in  the  desire.  Most  of  the  good  people 
around  her  thought  she  already  knew  a  great  deal. 
They  were  sure  she  "  had  learning  enough  to  teach 
their  daughters  ;  "  and,  as  she  "  never  would  be  a  min- 
ister, why  should  she  go  off  to  Byfield  to  school  ? " 
But  her  mother  said,  "  Go,  my  child."  We  suspect 
she  had  already  done  what  she  afterward  said  all 
daughters  should  do,  "  come  up  fully  to  their  mothers' 
standard,  and  thus  invite  those  mothers  to  higher  and 
higher  endeavors  and  nobler  aspirations."  With  her 
parents'  approbation  she  left  home  ;  and  we  must  per- 
mit her  to  tell  her  own  story  of  the  journey  as  she 
once  gave  it  to  vis  in  the  school-room. 

"  You  can  hardly 'understand,  young  ladies,  what  a 
great  thing  it  was  to  get  to  Byfield.  It  was  almost 
like  going  to  Europe  now.  Why,  it  took  us  three 
long  days  to  go  from  Ashfield  to  Byfield.  Good  Esq. 
White,  who  was  one  of  my  fathers,  took  me  in  his  own 


46  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

carriage  with  his  daughter.*  I  was  really  a  little 
homesick  the  second  night,  when  I  realized  that  I  was 
so  far  from  home.  You  will  laugh,  and  you  may 
laugh,  for  I  am  going  to  tell  you  that  the  next  day 
I  was  really  very  homesick.  We  lost  our  way,  and  I 
did  not  know  as  we  ever  should  find  the  noted  Byfield, 
for  the  good  people  near  Boston  did  not  seem  to  know 
very  well  where  it  was.  And  can  you  believe  it, 
young  ladies,  Miss  W.  and  I  both  cried  !  I  cried  just 
as  hard  as  I  could  ;  and  I  really  think  I  outcried  my 
friend,  whose  good  father  smiled  upon  us.  But  we 
found  Byfield, — for  Esq.  White  did  something  better 
than  weep  ;  and  when  he  went  back  to  Ashfield,  he 
told  our  friends  that  he  had  left  us  in  a  good  place,  and 
that  we  would  come  home  the  next  fall."  Greatly  in- 
terested in  her  story  of  finding  Byfield,  we  w.ere  always 
glad  afterward  to  hear  her  refer  to  the  school  and  its 
teacher. 

Miss  Lyon  has  herself  told  us  of  the  buddings  of 
sentiments,  of  customs  and  habits  in  her  "  mountain 
home,"  waiting  only  the  fanning  of  "  the  gentle  breez- 
es of  intelligence,  influence,  and  Christian  sympathy," 
to  bring  forth  the  choicest  fruits.  '  These  were  truly 
fanned  by  "  good  Mr.  Emerson,"  and  they  were  yield- 
ing daily  fruit  years  afterward,  when  she  used  to  say : 

*  Amanda  White,  afterward  wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Ferry,  missionary  tc 
Mackinaw. 


AT   BYFIELD  AND  DERRY.  47 

44  My  dear  teacher,  now  in  heaven,  said  and  thought 
thus." 

Miss  Lyon,  in  her  first  acquaintance  with  him,  was 
impressed  with  Mr.  Emerson's  high  regard  for  woman's 
intellectual  powers,  and  this  impression  was  strength- 
ened, as  she  observed  from  day  to  day  his  manner  of 
treating  his  pupils  and  other  ladies.  She  says  :  "  If  a  L^_ 
lady  advanced  an  opinion  to  which  he  could  not  as- 
sent, he  did  not  hesitate  to  object  because  it  was  the 
opinion  of  a  lady  ;  for  he  appeared  to  believe  that  she 
had  a  mind  capable  of  weighing  an  argument,  and  that 
she  would  gratefully  receive  the  correction  of  an  error. 
The  tendency  of  the  course  he  pursued  was  to  inspire 
ladies  with  a  modest  confidence,  not  only  in  their  OWF 
individual  powers,  but  also  in  the  native  abilities  of 
their  sex,  and  to  give  them  those  just  views  of  their  rea 
worth,  which  are  so  suited  to  lead  them  to  dislike  and 
avoid  all  mean  pretensions  to  knowledge,  genius,  and 
greatness ;  and  to  do  away  the  assumption  that  they 
were  never  designed  to  be  literary  or  scientific,  and 
that  they  can  not  be,  without  injury  to  themselves  and 
others."  With  Mr.  E.,  she  regarded  the  jewel  of 
learning  "  in  a  woman  without  discretion,"  just  as 
Solomon  regards  that  of  beauty,  and  was  equally  de- 
sirous to  repress  a  disgusting  vanity  and  to  inspire  a 
proper  confidence.  She  said :  "  In  a  mixed  company, 
I  never  knew  him,  having  talked  in  a  profitable  and 


48  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

interesting  manner  and  on  some  practical  subject 
with  A  circle  of  gentlemen,  on  one  hand,  to  turn  his  at- 
tention to  a  circle  of  ladies,  on  the  other,  and  descend 
to  needless  commonplace  inquiries  and  trifling  re- 
marks. In  conversation  with  him,  ladies  generally 
had  a  feeling  of  being  regarded  like  equals  as  well  as 
friends.  There  was  no  needless  gallantry,  no  apparent 
consciousness  of  stooping,  or  of  condescension.  His 
sincere  and  unfeigned  regard  for  the  sex  was  told  far 
less  by  words  than  by  his  cordial,  familiar,  and  unaf- 
fected manner."  With  such  an  example  as  Mr.  Emer- 
son, and  with  his  views  made  her  own,  it  is  not  strange 
that  Miss  Lyon  sought  earnestly  to  raise  woman 
to  the  place  she  believed  God  designed  her  to  occupy, 
and  as  fully  believed  man  would  give  her  if  she 
should  prove  herself  worthy  of  it.  She  believed,  with 
Mr.  E.,  "  that  in  some  things  which  are  not  necessary 
to  enable  "  woman  "  to  fulfill  her  varied  and  extensive 
duties,  her  strength  of  intellect  is  not  equal  to  that  of 
the  other  sex ;  but  that  in  other  things  no  less  noble, 
and  equally  important  for  the  good  of  the  world,  she 
excels."  She  learned  to  think,  with  him,  that  the  sta- 
tion of  woman  "  is  designed  by  Providence  to  be  subor- 
dinate and  dependent,  to  a  degree  far  exceeding  the 
difference  in  native  talents."  She  could  rejoice  in  this, 
because  she  regarded  it  "  as  dictated  by  infinite  wis- 
dom and  goodness,  not  for  the  elevation  of  the  one,  or 


BYFIELD   AND   DLRRT.  4<J 

i'or  the  depression  of  the  other,  but  for  the  promotion 
of  the  greatest  good  of  the  whole."  Miss  Lyon  gave 
such  sentiments  to  her  pupils  long  after  Mr.  Emer- 
son had  gone  to  his  heavenly  home,  adding  :  "  He 
gave  them  to  me,  and  I  am  sure  he  drew  them  from 
the  Bible :  they  are  the  Bible  itself."  Sometimes, 
going  a  step  further,  she  would  add  :  "  While  he 
thought  that  the  wife  owes  to  her  husband  obedience, 
modified  and  limited  by  the  laws*  of  God,  he  did  not 
consider  it  the  duty  of  the  husband  in  any  ordinary 
case  to  command.  If  in  families,  so  wonderfully  fitted 
in  their  very  organization  to  be  the  abode  of  happiness 
and  love,  there  may  be  found  here  and  there  an  in- 
stance of  strange  alienation  and  discord,  how  many 
more  such  scenes  should  we  witness,  if  the  Bible  had 
clothed  each  part  of  the  united  head  with  equal  author- 
ity to  rule !  The  obedience  which  Mr.  Emerson 
would  inculcate  would  be  so  genuine  and  unaffected 
as  scarcely  to  be  recognized  as  such  by  either  party, 
the  whole  being  clothed  in  the  beautiful  robe  of  mutual 
respect  and  esteem."  Miss  Lyon  had  seen  just  what 
is  here  described  in  her  own  home,  and  was  all  ready 
to  be  benefited  by  such  words,  and  to  make  them 
bring  forth  abundant  fruit  in  her  many  pupils.  In  her 
description  of  Mr.  Emerson's  character,  she  says : 
("  Any  lady  —  and  the  cases  are  not  rare  —  who  has  oc- 
casion to  excel  in  guiding  her  household  ;  in  being  the 

5 


50  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

active  head  of  all  her  various  departments  of  domestic 
labor  ;  in  presiding  in  the  parlor  and  at  the  table  with- 
out display  or  diffidence ;  in  rendering  her  house  the 
abode  of  hospitality  as  well  as  of  domestic  happiness ; 
in  becoming  a  skillful  teacher  for  her  own  children  and 
for  others  who  may  be  gathered  into  the  Sabbath 
school  or  Bible  class  ;  and  in  being  the  mainspring  of 
many  a  benevolent  association  ;  and,  beside  all,  who 
finds  it  desirable  to  be  intelligent  on  most  subjects  of 
practical  interest,  and  it  may  be,  too,  to  be  literary 
without  vanity,  and  scientific  without  ostentation,  —  any 
lady,  who  has  occasion  for  all  this,  will  have  great 
reason  for  gratitude  that  she  ever  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  sitting  under  the  instruction  of  my  dearly  beloved 
and  highly  revered  teacher." 

Miss  Lyon  was  often  heard  to  thank  God  for  direct- 
ing her  to  the  place  where  she  learned  the  true  object 
of  education,  —  to  do  good.  She  brought  with  her 
from  Byfield,  Mr.  Emerson's  views  of  the  study  of 
Scripture,  and  both  she  and  Miss  Grant  carried  them 
out  more  fully  than  their  teacher  was  able  to  do  him- 
self. The  same  was  true  of  prayer-meetings,  laboring 
for  souls,  and  seeking  to  save  a  world. 

Miss  Lyon  returned  from  Byfield  in  the  autumn, 
and  engaged  again  as  teacher  in  Sanderson's  Acade- 
my in  Ashfield,  "  grateful,  "  as  she  said,  "  to  do  a  little 
for  the  school  that  had  done  so  much  for  her."  In 


AT  BY  FIELD  AND    DLRRY.  f>l 

the  spring  of  1822,  she  united  with  the  Congrega- 
tional church  iu  Auckland,  upon  profession  of  her 
faith.  She  continued  in  the  same  employment  two 
years  longer,  when  Providence  opened  the  way  for  her 
to  be  associated  with  Miss  Grant  in  the  Adams 
Female  Academy  in  Londonderry  (now  Deny), 
New  Hampshire.  She  had  become  interested  in  that 
school  through  others,  and  had  sometimes  asked,  when 
alone  with  the  Lord,  if  it  might  not  be  possible  that 
Miss  Grant  should  do  a  work  for  him  in  L.  She 
had  never  expressed  this,  which  she  called  "  a  ro- 
mantic thought ;  "  but  her  heavenly  Father  heeded 
the  un uttered  desire.  In  later  years,  wheri  she  better 
knew  her  dear  Father's  love,  she  regarded  it  as  an 
evidence  of  her  having  enjoyed  "  sweet  fellowship  of 
thought  with  him."  When,  a  few  days  afterward,  she 
received  a  letter  from  Miss  Grant,  she  broke  the  seal, 
glanced  at  the  contents,  and,  finding  that  the  latter  had 
really  been  invited  to  take  charge  of  the  school,  she 
'  exclaimed  :  "  Is  this  a  dream,  or  is  it  a  reality  ?  "  A 
little  later  there  came  a  request  from  her  dear  friend 
that  she  would  join  with  her  in  labor.  She  looked  up 
and  said :  "  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth."  To 
Miss  Grant  she  wrote  :  "  The  prospect  since  you  first 
wrote  me  has  appeared  sufficiently  pleasant ;  indeed,  1 
fear  too  pleasant.  I  tremble  more  than  if  the  path 
appeared  more  rugged."  Miss  Lyon  had  learned, 


52  RECOLLECTIONS   OF    MARY  LYON. 

when  in  Byfield,  to  esteem  and  love  Miss  Grant  most 
highly,  and,  loving  her  thus,  she  was  rejoiced  to  help 
her  cany  forward  that  school.  Mr.  Emerson's  prin- 
ciples, modified  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  pupils,  were 
here  acted  upon.  Miss  Lyon  was  delighted  to  find 
that  her  friend  had  made  such  an  arrangement  with 
her  employers  as  to  feel  at  liberty  to  use  one 
seventh  part  of  the  intellectual  energies  of  her  pupils 
upon  what  is  contained  in  that  storehouse  of  knowl- 
edge, the  Scriptures.  The  Bible  was  studied  every 
day  in  that  school.  There  were  recitations  every 
Monday,  and,  some  parts  of  the  term,  every  day  ;  and, 
after  months  of  trial,  Miss  Lyon  says  this  study  had 
excited  deeper  and  more  universal  interest  than  any 
other ;  and  just  so  she  found  it  in  all  her  schools  in 
after  years.  "  It  gave  pupils,"  to  use  her  own  words, 
"  intellectual  discipline,  guidance,  and  control  over  the 
heart,  and  they  really  loved  their  Bible  lessons." 

Miss  Lyon  ever  spoke  of  those  months  in  Derry  as 
an  important  part  of  her  preparation  for  long  years  of 
teaching.  She  valued  Miss  Grant's  counsels  and  ex- 
perience, and  she  prized  a  friend  to  whom  she  could 
give  her  warmest  affections.  We  well  remember  the 
lesson  of  love  we  learned  from  Miss  Lyon  a  score  of 
years  afterward,  when  she  was  telling  us  of  her  happy 
connection  with  Miss  Grant.  She  spoke  from  a  feel- 
ing heart  when  she  said  :  "  Some  suppose  the  strength 


AT  Bl' FIELD   AND  DERRY.  53 

of  affection  is  greater  in  youth  than  in  advanced  life. 
This  may  be  true  of  worldly  love,  but  not  of  Christian 
love.  Young  ladies,  I  want  you  to  love  so  tenderly, 
so  deeply,  that  the  roots  will  not  be  found  spread  upon 
the  surface  alone.  Let  them  strike  into  your  inmost 
souls.  You  need  not  fear  loving  too  ardently,  if  you 
only  love  in  Christ.  You  may  show  too  much  fond- 
ness for  your  friends  in  public,  but  you  are  in  no  danger 
of  giving  them  too  much  true  affection.  Do  you  not 
think  I  can  and  do  love  Miss  Grant  better  than  when 
we  taught  together  in  Derry  ?  "  We  all  believed  her. 
One  of  her  teachers  wrote,  during  an  examination  at 
Mount  Holyoke :  "  I  think  I  never  saw  Miss  Lyon 
look  so  happy  as  she  did  to-day,  when  Miss  Curtis 
whispered  to  her  on  the  platform,  *  Mrs.  Banister 
(Miss  Grant)  has  come.'  She  excused  herself  for  a 
few  moments,  and  soon  returned  with  Mrs.  Banister 
and  placed  her  by  her  side,  to  tell  us  all,  by  her  very 
manner,  that  a  near  and  very  dear  friend  had  arrived. ' 
This  was  the  love  of  advanced  life. 

6  * 


CHAPTER  V. 

Durklitntr  Sdjool. 

RETURN  FKOM  DERRY  IN  THE  AUTUMN  OF  1824 — TEACHES  IN  BUCK- 
LANU  THE  NEXT  WINTER  —  INFLUENCE  OF  HER  SCHOOL  —  DESIRE 
FOR  ITS  CONTINUANCE  THE  WINTER  FOLLOWING  —  THE  TUITION 
FEE  —  PAYING  IN  ADVANCE  —  OPENING  OF  THE  SCHOOL  —  HOME- 
SICKNESS —  COLBURN'S  ARITHMETIC  —  BIBLE  STUDIES  —  BEGIN- 
NING OF  RELIGIOUS  INTEREST  AMONG  THE  PUPILS  —  THE  REVIVAL 
—  ITS  FRUITS. 

MISS    LYON  had    passed   thirty  weeks  of    1824 
most    happily    and    profitably  with    Miss    G.   at 
Deny,  when  the  school  was  closed  for  the  winter. 

She  returned  to  Buckland,  where  she  had,  the  next 
winter,  a  little  school  of  twenty-five  young  ladies. 
Most  of  the  pupils  boarded  with  their  parents,  and 
Miss  Lyon  found  a  home  in  the  family  of  the  pastor, 
Rev.  Mr.  Clarke.  This  school  was  little  known  in  the 
vicinity  that  winter,  but  its  influence  worked  quietly 
all  summer,  and  many  Christian  parents,  who  were 
waiting  for  salvation  to  come  to  Israel,  were  heard  to 
ask  before  another  winter :  "Is  it  certain  that  Miss 
Lyon  will  come  back  from  Deny  "  (whither  she  had 
again  gone),  "and  teach  here  next  year?  We  do 
hope  she  will ;  for  our  daughters  need  just  such  a 

(54) 


TIIK    firCKLAXD   SCHOOL.  55 

school.  Why  did  we  not  know  of  hers  last  winter  ?  " 
They  prayed  and  waited,  and  soon  they  heard,  "  She 
will  almost  certainly  come."  And  before  November 
had  gone  by,  it  was  said,  "  She  has  come."  Yes,  she 
was  there  in  season  to  make  all  her  arrangements. 

The  young  ladies  were  to  assemble  on  Tuesday  after 
Thanksgiving.  There  was  no  newspaper  notice  of 
the  day,  and  none  was  needed  ;  for  the  last  year's 
pupils  had  not  only  well  advertised  the  school  and 
teacher,  but  made  everybody  understand  that  school 
would  commence  Wednesday,  precisely  at  nine 
o'clock ;  and  all  those  who  would  enjoy  most  of  Miss 
Ly on's  approving  smile  had  better  be  there  Tuesday 
night.  The  girls  of  the  surrounding  towns  had  hoped 
for  a  Thanksgiving-day  snow  to  take  them  to  Buck- 
land,  but  it  did  not  come  ;  and  so,  early  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, the  great  wagons  were  brought  out,  and  fathers  and 
mothers  were  busy  in  planning  to  keep  their  daughters 
warm  on  their  way  over  the  frozen  ground.  They  did 
not  like,  after  what  they  had  heard,  to  wait  till 
Wednesday,  though  it  was  about  certain  it  would  snow 
before  night,  and  be  good  sleighing  the  next  morning. 

Miss  Lyon  was  all  ready  for  them.  She  had  con- 
cluded to  make  her  charge  for  tuition  only  a  shilling  a 
week ;  and  the  good  people  in  Buckland,  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  her  spirit,  thought  they  could  board  for 
five  shillings  a  week ;  and  so  she  said  to  the  fathers,  as 


56  RECOLLECTIONS     OF    MARY    Ll'O.V. 

they  brought  in  their  daughters  :  "  We  plan  to  have 
our  term  fourteen  weeks  ;  and,  as  Mr.  G.  wants  to  help 
on  this  work,  he  will  board  so  cheaply  that  board  and 
tuition  for  the  term  will  be  only  fourteen  dollars. 
Perhaps  you  had  better  give  them  a  few  dollars  for 
their  books,  etc.,  but  they  will  not  need  a  great  deal." 
One  father,  on  hearing  this,  drew  out  his  old  black 
pocket-book,  —  the.  very  embodiment  of  "  Owe  no  man 
any  thing,"  —  and  said  :  "  You  will  allow  me  to  pay  you 
in  advance."  "  Well,  sir,  I  think  you  had  better  not," 
she  replied.  "  Perhaps  your  daughter  will  not  like  us 
well  enough  to  stay  ;  "  and  then,  turning  to  the  bright- 
eyed  daughter,  she  added  :  "  though  I  think  she  will ; 
but  we  shall  not  need  the  money  at  once.  You  will 
come  over  and  see  us  after  a  few  weeks,  and  you  can 
give  it  to  us  then  if  we  find  we  do  want  it."  That 
father  saw  Miss  Lyon  for  one  moment  alone,  to  tell 
her  that  possibly  his  daughter  might  wish  to  direct  her 
own  studies ;  but  Miss  Lyon  did  not  allow  him  to  finish 
his  story ;  for,  beginning  to  pass  hand  over  hand  most 
rapidly,  she  said,  "  Oh,  sir,  I  don't  think  we  shall  have 
any  trouble.  I  presume  we  shall  get  along  very 
nicely."  Her  manner,  in  not  allowing  him  to  tell  her 
that  his  daughter  had  even  a  single  fault,  was  under- 
stood by  that  discerning  parent.  He  trusted  her  with 
his  whole  heart.  He  had  no  more  to  say ;  and,  giving 
his  good-by  to  teacher  and  daughter,  he  turned  away 


run  BUcKi.AXL)  SCHOOL.  57 

to  give  place  to  other  equally  anxious  fathers,  all  of 
whom  were  satisfied  before  leaving  that  they  had 
found  just  the  right  place  for  their  daughters. 
Around  more  than  one  hearth-stone's  blazing  fire 

o 

was  Miss  Lyon  described  that  cold  Tuesday  night ; 
and  more  than  one  listening  little  girl,  as  she  heard  of 
the  new-found  teacher,  wished  she  were  older,  that 
she  too  might  be  with  Miss  Lyon. 

The  school  was  opened  on  Wednesday  morning  at 
nine  o'clock, — just  as  the  young  ladies  had  heard  it 
would  be  ;  for  punctuality  then,  as  later,  meant  not 
half  a  minute  from  the  appointed  time.  There  were 
fifty  pupils  assembled  in  the  old  hall  that  morning,  and 
the  indications  of  home-sickness  that  were  settling  on 
some  began  to  scatter,  as  they  heard  Miss  Lyon  say : 
"  Now,  young  ladies,  we  shall  feel  very  badly  if  you 
can't  give  us  a  part  of  your  hearts.  How  many  of 
you  think  your  hearts  are  large  enough  to  love,  not 
only  those  good  fathers  and  mothers  and  dear  little 
brothers  and  sisters,  but  us  also  ?  "  The  old  scholars' 
hands  went  straight  up,  and  the  new  ones  had  so  little 
control  over  theirs,  that  they  were  found  almost  at 
once  in  the  same  position.  The  teacher  said :  "  I 
thought  it  was  so  ;  "  and  then,  taking  their  hearts  right 
into  her  heart,  she  asked  God  to  bless  them  in  all  they 
should  do  that  winter.  Now  they  waited  for  direc- 
tions in  regard  to  their  studies.  And  there  came  a 


f»8  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  Y  L  YOX. 

more  lasting  than  an  April  cloud  over  some  of  those 
countenances,  when  they  heard  that  the  new  scholars 
would  all  be  expected  to  study  Colburn's  First  Lessons, 
Murray's  Grammar,  and  perhaps  Adams'  Arithmetic, 
and  Woodbridge's  New  Geography.  The  Colburn's 
Arithmetics  were  given  out,  and  almost  every  eye  >;iw, 
for  its  first  question,  "  How  many  fingers  have  you  on 
one  hand  ? "  What  a  feeling  ran  through  those 
young  hearts !  If  they  could  not  speak,  they  could 
think,  and  it  needed  only  Miss  Lyon's  discerning  eye 
to  read  those  thoughts :  "  Have  I  come  here  to  count 
my  fingers  ?  It  is  too  bad  to  spend  fourteen  dollars  in 
this  way.  Oh,  if  I  could  only  have  known  about  this 
Colburn's  Arithmetic  before  my  father  left !  "  But 
the  fathers  were  all  gone,  and  the  teacher  talked  so 
cheerfully,  and  made  eveiy  thing  so  pleasant,  that  they 
all  recited  their  lesson  with  an  outward  grace,  though 
the  inner  feeling  was  of  being  sacrificed  to  counting 
those  fingers  which  they  had  learned  to  count  while  as 
yet  they  hardly  knew  the  right  hand  from  the  left. 
The  old  scholars  told  the  new  ones  that  they  were  all 
the  previous  winter  going  through  that  arithmetic. 
Some  believed,  others  doubted,  while  others  still  knew 
it  could  not  be  so.  A  few  veiy  conscientious  ones  felt 
called  upon  to  make  known  the  state  of  things  to  their 
parents.  One,  who  longed  to  do  it,  did  not  think  it 
best,  because  she  saw  that  her  father  was  perfectly  do- 


Till:   BUCK  LAND   SCHOOL.  69 

lighted  with  Miss  Lyon  the  day  he  brought  her,  and 
she  thought  he  said  to  her :  "  My  child  may  not  know 
what  it  is  best  for  her  to  study."  There  was  nothing 
the  could  do  ;  but  perhaps  the  father  of  another  might 
be  influenced,  and  thus  something  be  gained.  So  that 
other  one  wrote  her  father,  counseled  by  her  compan- 
ions. In  those  days  the  mail  went  out  from  Buck- 
land  only  three  times  a  week,  and,  as  no  private  oppor- 
tunity occurred  of  sending,  the  letter  was  kept  over 
Sunday.  Miss  Lyon  made  that  day  so  pleasant,  they 
were  almost  sorry  they  had  written  such  a  letter,  and 
about  concluded  that,  if  they  could  be  let  oft'  from  Col- 
burn's  First  Lessons,  they  would  be  willing  to  stay  a 
little  longer.  But  what  should  occur  on  Monday 
morning,  but  that  Miss  Lyon  should  go  into  school,  and 
say :  "  Now,  young  ladies,  I  should  not  wonder  if  you 
felt  as  though  you  could  not  spend  your  time  and 
money  to  learn  to  count  your  fingers,  —  that  is,  to  study 
Colburn's  First  Lessons ;  neither  would  I  wonder  if 
you  felt  that  your  parents  would  not  be  willing  to  have 
you  do  it.  But  I  rather  think  you  had  better  not 
write  those  good  fathers  quite  yet.  I  am  afraid  they 
will  be  very  much  troubled  ;  and  I  really  think  you 
will  find  your  powers  a  little  more  taxed  than  you  now 
think  for,  in  studying  Colburn.  Don't  you  think  you 
had  better  try  it  for  two  weeks  ?  and,  if  you  want  to 
leave  it  then,  why,  perhaps  I  shall  think  it  is  best  for  you 


60  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYO.V 

to  do  it.  Sometimes  I  change  my  mind,  —  sometimes 
my  young  ladies  change  their  minds,  and  you  may  be 
vi-rv  sure  that  I  shall  not  want  you  to  study  Colburn's 
First  Lessons  if  you  don't  want  to  do  it."  Oh,  how 
ashamed  were  the  letter- writers  now  !  They  longed  for 
recess,  and  when  it  came,  one  whispered  to  the  other : 
"  She  must  have  heard  us  talk  Saturday."  "  No  one 
can  have  told  her,  for  we  did  not  tell  any  one  else." 
"  She  will  think  us  so  mean."  "  We  will  burn  up  the 
letter  at  once."  It  was  consumed  before  recess  closed, 
and  those  young  ladies  were  in  their  seats,  ready  to  do 
any  thing,  but  wishing  that  Miss  Lyon  had  not  heard 
that  Saturday's  talk,  of  which,  and  of  the  letter,  she 
really  knew  nothing  till  years  afterward. 

That  was  a  happy  winter  for  all  those  pupils.  They 
can  never  forget  their  satisfaction  in  their  arithmetic, 
nor  how  delighted  Miss  Lyon  was  when  she  found  them 
ready  to  answer  such  questions  as, "  Four-fifths  of  fifteen 
are  six-tenths  of  how  many  thirds  of  twenty-one  ?  "  as 
fast  as  she  could  read  them  ;  nor  her  greater  delight  in 
their  explanations.  Adams'  Arithmetic  became  a  new 
book  under  her  teaching,  and  Woodbridge's  Geography, 
with  the  geographical  cards  prepared  by  her,  was  "  so 
interesting."  And  when  she  told  them  that  "  Gram- 
mar measures  the  whole  mind,"  —  and  more,  that  "  a 
young  lady  who  can  not  go  into  grammar  can  not  pene- 
trate any  thing,"  —  they  saw  new  beauties  in  it.  They 


THE    BTCKLAXD   SCHOOL.  61 

believed,  with  her,  that  it  is  "  a  great  study,"  and  that "  a 
philosophical  mind  is  required  to  understand  the  nature 
and  foundation  of  language."  And  now  they  loved 
those  Bible  Lessons,  made  so  pleasant  from  day  to  day. 
In  their  rooms  they  prepared  their  paper  cards  of  the 
good  old  foolscap,  and  copied  what  Miss  Lyon  had 
made  ready  for  them  to  help  them  in  acquiring  Scrip- 
ture History.  We  do  not  know  how  many  packages 
of  cards  there  were,  but  we  know  there  were  twenty 
cards  in  a  package,  for  we  have  often  seen  them  in 
homes  on  the  hills  of  Western  Massachusetts,  where 
children  would  interest  themselves  for  hours,  going 
over  them.  One  perhaps  would  call  out,  "  Sons  of 
Noah  ?  "  —  for  this  would  appear  on  one  side  of  the  little 
card  ;  then  would  come  the  answer,  "  Shem,  Ham,  and 
Japheth  ;  "  and  perhaps  the  next  would  be,  "  Father  and 
mother  of  Moses  ?  "  while  the  reply  would  be,  "  Amram 
and  Jochebed."  And  yet  another,  "  Sarah's  age  ? " 
and  the  answer,  "  One  hundred  and  twenty-seven." 
"  Four  rivers  that  watered  Eden  ?"  and  a  little,  lisp- 
ing girl  would  cry,  "  Pison,  Gihon,  Hiddekel,  and  Eu- 
phrates." How  many  mothers  have  thanked  Miss 
Lyon  for  those  Scripture  cards  on  foolscap  paper,  not 
only  for  themselves  but  for  their  children ! 

Miss    Lyon    commenced    that    winter's    work    with 
hopes  and  fears,  and  saying :  "  I  would  not  desire  any 
thing,  that  would  not  be  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  in 
6 


RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY    LYOX. 

accordance  with  the  will  of  my  Saviour."  With  the 
hope  that  her  school  might  be  visited  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  with  the  fear  "  that  some  might  become  so 
absorbed  in  their  studies  as  to  exclude  God  from  their 
hearts,"  she  prayed  and  labored  to  save  the  souls  she 
tenderly  loved.  The  last  of  December,  she  writes : 
"  Some  are  thoughtful ;  "  and  adds :  "That  heart  must  be 

O  ' 

insensible  which  could  not  feel,  in  observing  the  gen- 
eral attention  manifest  when  a  sermon  is  reviewed,  a 
Bible  lesson  recited,  or  any  religious  subject  brought 
forward.  Perhaps  the  Lord  may  visit  us  by  his  grace. 
In  him  is  all  our  hope." 

Tried  in  her  own^oul,  she  writes  still  further:  "  For 
a  long  time,  I  have  at  intervals  been  anxious  about  my 
own  state  of  mind.  I  have  felt  that  if  I  were  ardently 
attached  to  the  Saviour,  my  desires  to  honor  him  would 
be  m.->re  uniform.  I  had  hoped  that  the  Lord  would 
direct  to  means  which  would  effectually  move  my  soul, 
so  that  I  could  no  longer  sleep  when  reflecting  on  the 
cause  of  our  dear  Redeemer.  But  let  me  depend  on 
nothing  but  God."  There  followed  weeks  of  serious- 
ness in  that  school,  but  no  conversions.  Miss  Lyon's 
-.ill  wa>  stirred  within  her.  She  knew  that  the  Spirit 
1  of  God  was  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  that  he  was 
.  grieved.  "  And  why,"  she  asked,  "  should  that  Spirit 
be  grieved  from  us,  when  he  is  so  much  more  easily 
invited  to  stay  with  us,  —  to  come  and  to  bless  us?" 


Tiff:   Rl'CKLAXl)   SCHOOL.  p»ft 

Eleven  pupils  were  hopefully  pious  at  the  beginning. 
Their  souls  were  joined  with  hers  in  prayer;  and  when 
they  feared  that  the  Heavenly  Dove  was  about  to  de- 
part, the  Lord  carne  suddenly  among  them,  and  to 
abide  with  them  by  his  converting  grace.  Those  who 
witnessed  the  scenes  of  that  closing  term  can  under- 
stand her  feelings  as  she  wrote,  a  few  weeks  later : 
"  Those  days  must  be  numbered  with  the  most  precious 
of  my  life  ;  and  sometimes  I  can  scarcely  believe  that 
all  those  scenes  were  real."  This  was  the  first  revival 
in  a  school  of  which  Miss  Lyon  had  the  entire  charge. 
Having  wrestled  with  her  God  and  prevailed,  she 
wrote  u  Peniel "  on  that  Buckland  hall,  —  to  come  back, 
in  after  years,  and  find  that  her  Saviour  made  it "  Pe- 
niel "  still ;  for  we  too  had  called  it  by  that  name. 

Before  that  school-term  closed,  there  was  new  joy  in 
many  of  those  nomes  from  wmch  daughters  had  gone 
forth  on  that  cold  Tuesday  morning.  In  writing,  a 
tender  scene  in  one  of  those  homes  comes  up  vividly. 
A  letter  was  handed  to  a  father.  He  read  and  wept. 
It  was  given  to  the  mother,  and  her  tears  flowed  as  soon 
as  her  eye  fell  upon  the  first  line.  The  little  children 
knew  that  the  letter  had  come  from  Buckland.  They 
looked  on  and  were  sad,  not  having  yet  learned  that 
there  are  tears  of  joy  as  well  as  sorrow.  "  What  is  it, 
mamma  ?  "  said  the  eldest  one.  The  letter  was  passed 
to  the  child  and  she  read  :  "  Your  daughter  has  a  trem- 


tJ4  RECOLLECTIONS    OP   MARY   LYOX. 

bling  hope  that  she  is  a  Christian.  God  is  with  us. 
Pray  for  us."  Then  the  child  wept  with  the  parents, 
and  there  arose  in  her  young  heart  the  desire  to  know 
her  sister's  God,  and  she  had  no  rest  till  she  was 
numbered  with  the  Lord's  chosen  ones. 

Probably  in  as  many  as  twenty  of  the  homes  of 
Western  Massachusetts  were  there  scenes  like  this 
during  February  and  the  early  part  of  March,  1826. 
When  the  fathers  went  for  their  daughters,  at  the  close 
of  the  term,  they  blessed  Miss  Lyon  in  God's  name, 
and  begged  her  to  return  to  them  the  coming  winter. 
The  influence  of  those  precious  daughters,  now  Christ's, 
was  not  confined  to  their  homes ;  it  was  felt  also  in 
their  neighborhoods.  Little  prayer-meetings  were 
commenced  ;  new  Sabbath-school  teachers  were  to  be 
found ;  benevolent  societies  for  little  children  came 
into  existence ;  pastors  were  encouraged,  for  they  felt 
that  there  had  been  added  to  their  numbers,  not*  only 
those  who  should  be  saved,  but  also  those  who  would 
seek  to  save  others. 


CHAPTER     VI. 

[  it  gfrrg,  ^slrfbltr,  antr 


ALTERNATE  LABORS  IN  DERRY  AND  ASHFIELD  —  PREPARING  HER  PU- 
PILS TO  BE  TEACHEKS  —  LETTERS  TO  MISS  GRANT  —  NARRATIVE  OF 
THE  REVIVAL  IN  ASHFIELD  SCHOOL  —  CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  PU- 
PILS —  HER  SOLEMN  APPEALS  TO  THE  IMPENITENT  —  AND  TO  CHRIS- 
TIANS —  IN  IPSWICH  —  IN  BUCKLAND  IN  1829-80. 

~]l/riSS  LYON  returned  to  Deny  in  the  spring  of 
1826,  to  be  once  more  with  Miss  Grant  for  the 
summer.  Their  school  was  again  blessed  ;  for  during 
the  first  term  twenty  of  the  pupils  hopefully  became 
Christians.  There  were  times  when  mothers  of  pupils 
in  that  school  observed  a  concert  of  prayer  on  every 
Wednesday  morning,  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  to 
offer  their  petitions  that  their  daughters  might  there  be- 
come Christ's.  Miss  Lyon's  own  mother,  hearing  of  this, 
joined  with  those  mothers  in  praying  for  their  daugh- 
ters. Those  teachers  alone,  and  perhaps  not  they,  can 
tell  how  much  they  were  strengthened  by  those  moth- 
ers' prayers.  The  second  term  of  this  summer  was 
also  one  of  rich  spiritual  blessing. 

The  winter  of  1826-7  was  passed  in  Ashfield  and  in 
the  old  Sanderson's  Academy.     A  goodly  number  of 

(65) 


(Jlj  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOX. 

young  ladies  were  again  assembled,  and  Miss  Lyon,  with 
heart  and  hands  full,  thanked  God  every  day  for  so 
much  to  do.  She  gave  more  attention  than  before  to  the 
external  deportment  of  her  pupils.  Some  who  were 
then  with  her  can  never  forget  her  manner  of  saying : 
"  Young  ladies  should  always  speak  with  a  gentle  voice. 
Gentleness  and  sprightliness  can  walk  hand  in  hand. 
Come  to  see  me  with  a  quiet  footstep.  I  shall  not  care 
to  know  of  your  approach  till  you  knock  at  my 
door." 

New  studies  were  introduced  into  this  school,  for 
her  pupils  were  becoming  more  advanced,  and  they 
were  charged  to  seek  to  have  their  minds  act  with 
vigor  and  activity.  The  "  power  of  abstraction  "  was 
a  prominent  topic  in  the  talks  of  that  winter  ;  and  it 
was  so  acted  upon  that  some  really  thought  they  were 
able  to  do  a  three  hours'  work  in  one  hour.  Young 
ladies  desiring  to  teach  had  now  begun  to  resort  to  the 
school ;  and  before  the  term  closed,  most  of  the  pupils 
had  engaged  schools  on  the  hills  for  the  summer. 
Miss  Lyon's  words  of  counsel  to  such  were  not  few, 
nor  were  they  ill-chosen.  She  would  say  to  them : 
"Young  ladies,  just  think  what  a  privilege  it  is  to 
labor  for  immortal  minds.  How  much  better  than  to 
spend  your  lives  seeking  happiness  alone!  The  life 
that  I  desire  for  you  is  as  much  above  the  pleasure- 
seeker's  as  an  archangel  is  above  an  infant.  You  have 


IN   DERBY,    ASI1FIELD,   AND  HUCKLAND.  67 

been  accustomed  to  follow  where  I  have  led  you. 
Now  you  are  to  be  seated  on  a  throne  of  your  own. 
You  can  sway  a  golden  scepter  there.  Be  sure  to  dc 
it."  For  those  who  were  not  to  teach,  she  had  also 
kind  words.  She  pointed  them  to  the  homes  they 
were  to  bless,  the  mothers  they  were  to  comfort,  to  the 
fathers  of  whom  it  is  truly  said  :  "  The  daughters  shall 
lead  them."  She  bade  them  continue  to  seek  mental 
improvement,  saying :  "  You  £an  do  this,  and  still  be 
good  business  characters.  Versatility  is  given  you  for 
this  purpose  ;  and  I  hope  I  shall  hear  that  you  make 
your  mothers'  cares  your  cares." 

When  those  pupils  had  really  gone  to  their  homes, 
Miss  Lyon  wrote  Miss  Grant :  "  The  demand  from 
our  common  schools  is  so  urgent,  that  I  feel  it  to  be  a 
duty  to  endeavor  to  do  something  at  least  one  winter 
more.  I  have  therefore  made  engagements  to  return 
here  next  autumn."  After  a  summer  with  Miss  Grant 
in  Derry,  she  was  again  found  in  Ashfield,  with  fifty 
pupils  around  her.  She  says  of  them  :  "  Our  school  is 
uncommonly  good,  —  several  degrees  better  than  the 
school  last  year."  It  was  Miss  Lyon's  happiness  to 
be  always  favored  with  "  the  best "  at  the  present  time. 
She  was  never  mourning  over  some  past  good  taken 
from  her,  but  enjoying  present  good,  doing  present 
work,  and  impressing  upon  her  pupils  that  "  the  duty 
of  the  present  moment  is  of  more  consequence  than 


OS  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MARY  LYON. 

all  future  duty.  We  never  heard  her  say :  "  I  am  dis- 
appointed in  my  school ;"  and  she  rarely  said:  "I  am 
disappointed  in  this  young  lady."  In  later  years  she 
was  accustomed  to  say  to  her  school :  "  I  usually  find 
young  ladies  worth  a  great  deal  more  than  I  expected. 
Where  I  am  once  disappointed  for 'the  worse,  I  am  ten 
times  for  the  better."  And  could  those  young  ladies, 
who  heard  her  thus  speak,  have  passed  behind  the 
curtain,  where  she  communed  with  her  teachers  alone, 
they  would  have  found  the  same  kindness.  One  of 
those  teachers  wrote  a  widowed  mother  :  "  Give  your 
sensitive  E.  to  Miss  Lyon,  who  is  all  kindness.  I 
found  her  kind  when  I  was  her  pupil,  but  now  that  I 
am  a  teacher,  and  hear  her  speak  of  her  pupils,  I 
realize  that  she  is  unlike  any  one  I  ever  knew.  She 
said  to  us  yesterday  in  our  teachers'  meeting  :  '  Do  for 
and  speak  of  these  young  ladies,  just  as  you  would 
wish  us  to  do  for  your  own  dear  sister.  They  are  our 
daughters,  —  our  sisters.  We  must  never  speak  lightly 
of  them.  We  must  remember  that  we  have  in  them  a 
most  precious  trust.'  "  These  words  were  penned  years 
after  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary  was  in  successful  opera- 
tion, but  the  spirit  was  the  same  when  Miss  Lyon  was 
in  Ashfield  and  Buckland. 

The  grouj)  that  gathered  around  her  in  December, 
1827,  shared  largely  in  her  interest.  She  saw  in  them 
the  teachers  of  the  summer  schools  of  that  region. 

O 


IN  DKRRY,   A&HFIELD,   AND   BUCKLAND.  69 

She  knew  that  "  committee-men  "  had  been  chosen  in 
November,  instead  of  March  as  had  been  customary, 
that  they  might  be  ready  to  take  as  teachers  the  first, 
best  fruits  of  her  school.  She  knew  that  what  she  did 
was  to  be  done  over  many  times,  in  the  old  brown  and 
the  new  red  school-houses  of  the  hills,  when  she  had 
gone  to  Ipswich  for  the  summer.  Pupils  and  teacher 
had  a  mind  to  work,  and  Miss  Lvon  says :  "  There  was 
delightful  progress  in  study  ; "  but  she  was  not  satisfied 
with  this  alone.  She  felt  that  those  immortal  spirits 
would  be  satisfied  only  in  knowing  and  loving  God. 
She  asked  this  for  them  ;  and,  when  alone,  she  reviewed 
her  own  life  as  a  Christian,  and  mourned  over  it. 
Her  own  words  best  give  her  feelings  in  that  review : 
"  What  an  immense  loss  I  must  suffer  through  life, 
on  account  of  the  misimprovement  of  so  long  a  period 
of  my  existence!  I  humbly  hope  I  shall  finally  be 
savc'd,  although  as  by  fire ;  but  I  have  no  reason  to 
expect  ever  in  this  world  all  that  spiritual  enjoyment 
with  which  I  might  have  been  favored,  if  all  these 
years  had  witnessed  a  regular  advance  in  a  life  of  faith 
and  piety.  Neither  can  I  expect  that  satisfaction  and 
success  in  laboring  in  the  cause  of  the  Saviour  which  I 

O 

might  have  enjoyed,  if  I  had  received  that  preparation 
which  can  be  gained  by  no  means  but  by  a  long  course 
of  active,  faithful  obedience." 

She  particularly  felt  that  she  had  not  done  all  that 


70  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYOX. 

she  should  have  done  for  Christians,  and  says  of  it : 
"  During  all  these  years,  I  know  not  how  many  just 
commencing  a  life  of  godliness  may  have  received  an 
impression  from  me  which  will  be  felt  all  their  lives. 
May  I,  in  this,  be  saved  from  blood-guiltiness.  But  I 
tremble  lest  even  this  winter  should  bear  witness 
against  me.  Almost  half  of  my  pupils  have  more  or 
less  hope  that  they  are  friends  of  the  Redeemer. 
Several  have  indulged  this  hope  but  a  few  months  ; 
in  some  it  is  like  the  faint  glimmering  of  a  distant 
taper.  But  few  can  be  considered  established  Chris- 
tians ;  and  of  scarcely  any  have  I  much  evidence  that 
they  possess  deep  feeling  and  lively  faith.  Here  we 
are  :  what  shall  we  do  ?  what  can  we  do  ?  The  influ- 
ence of  these  on  each  other,  the  influence  from  absorb- 
ing studies,  and  that  which  I  may  exert,  may  produce 
an  impression  which  shall  effect  their  whole  lives. 
These  precious  souls  have  been  sent  here  by  the  provi- 
dence of  God ;  but  what  to  do  I  know  not.  I  am 
weaker  than  weakness  itself,  and  my  wisdom  is  alto- 
gether folly.  May  I  be  more  and  more  sensible  of  the 
preciousness  of  the  direction,  — '  If  any  of  you  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God.'  ' 

The  above  was  written  to  Miss  Grant,  Jan.  6th, 
1828,  and  probably  to  no  other  one  would  she  have 
opened  her  heart  thus  freely.  To  the  same  friend  she 
Writes  Feb.  25th,  when  God  was  beginning  to  turn 


IN  DERRY,   ASHFIKLD,   AXD  BT'CKLAND.  71 

their  captivity :  "  Before  my  last  letter  to  you,  I 
thought  I  had  reason  to  believe  that  the  Spirit  of  God  // 
was  finding  a  resting-place  in  the  hearts  of  some  pro- 
fessors of  religion  in  school.  .1  did  hope,  too,  that 
there  was  a  secret,  silent  influence  on  the  minds  of 
some  of  the  impenitent.  This  continued  to  increase 
till  not  a  doubt  remained  that  the  Lord  was  indeed 
among  us.  Since  last  Friday  morning,  our  school-  v 
room  has  been  a  solemn  place.  During  these  five 
days,  four  have  had  a  change  of  feeling,  which  has  led 
them  to  hope  they  have  passed  from  death  unto  life. 
About  a  week  before,  there  was  one  instance  of  hope- 
ful conversion.  Several  are  now  deeply  anxious ;  some 
are  inquiring  with  interest,  and  I  know  of  only  one 
entirely  unaffected.  I  tell  you  all,  for  we  need  your 
prayers.  Our  state  is  most  critical.  I  do  not  feel  it 
to  be  the  time  for  rejoicing,  but  for  mourning,  solem- 
nity, and  deep  humiliation  before  God.  I  fear,  first, 
lest  /shall  grieve  the  Spirit ;  and  then  I  fear  for  the 
friends  of  the  Redeemer  here." 

The  following  letter,  written  after  the  term  closed, 
gives  a  fuller  account  of  the  work  of  grace  enjoyed  in 
the  school  that  winter :  — 

"  ASHFIELD,  March  18, 1828. 

"  I  have  this  day  parted  with  my  dear  pupils. 
Since  I  last  wrote  you,  my  labors  have  been  greatly 


72  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MARY  LTOX. 

increased  ;  but  that  they  have  been  thus  increased,  I 
consider  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  I  have  ever  en- 
joyed. 

"  When  our  school  commenced,  I  had  a  faint  hope 
that  the  Lord  would  visit  us  by  his  Holy  Spirit.  But, 
on  viewing  my  own  heart,  I  felt  that  I  had  very  little 
reason  to  expect  it.  There  I  found  an  apathy,  chilling 
and  distressing.  It  seemed  almost  as  if  the  fallow 
ground  could  not  be  broken  up.  I  felt  that  I  was  tak- 
ing on  myself  a  great  responsibility ;  but  what  to  do  I 
scarcely  knew ;  and  the  little  that  I  did  know  I  was 
very  poorly  prepared  to  perform. 

"  The  first  week,  I  made  a  separation  in  the  school 
after  the  plan  that  you  have  generally  practiced.  To 
my  surprise,  nearly  twenty  were  found,  who,  in  some 
form  or  other,  indulged  a  hope  that  they  were  the 
friends  of  God.  This  affected  my  heart.  The  respon- 
sibility of  attempting  to  do  something  for  their  spiritual 
improvement  rested  on  my  mind  with  an  indescribable 
weight.  It  seemed  to  me  that  something  must  be 

o 

done  ;  but  I  felt  that  I  could  do  little  more  than  en- 
deavor to  ascertain  something  about  them  individually 
and  attempt  to  commit  them  to  God.  .  .  . 

"  For  several  weeks,  my  desires  for  the  impenitent 
wore  faint  and  few  ;  and  almost  all  I  met,  either  in 
school  or  out,  appeared  to  partake  of  the  same  spirit. 
I  used  to  say  to  Miss  W.,  that  if  the  Lord  should  visit 


IN  DKRRY,  ASH  f /ELD,   AND  BUCKLAND.  73 

this  school,  we  must  always  remember  it  as  one  of  the 
more  wonderful  displays  of  his  power,  which  he  some- 
times condescends  to  make.  We  would  recount  the 
scenes  of  Buckland,  and  contrast  some,  who,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  term  there,  seemed  to  pray  the 
prayer  of  faith,  with  those  in  this  school  who  were  the 
most  interested  for  the  salvation  of  souls ;  and  we 
would  say,  '  There  is  no  prospect  of  a  revival,  for  this 
is  not  the  way  that  God  generally  works ; '  and  then 
my  heart  would  sink  within  me.  Thus  I  lived  on, 
week  after  week,  till  more  than  half  the  term  was 
gone.  But  while  man  looketh  on  the  outward  appear-  x 
ance,  God  judgeth  righteous  judgment.  I  now  believe 
that  the  eye,  which  saw  seven  thousand  in  Israel  who 
had  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal,  has  seen  the  effectual 
prayer  rising  continually  from  some  hearts  in  towns 
around  us,  though  I  knew  it  not  at  the  time. 

"  The  eighth  week  of  the  school,  Rev.  Mr.  M.,  of 
H.,  called  to  take  a  daughter  home  on  account  of  sick- 
ness in  the  family.  A  friend  of  mine,  who  is  himself 
a  clergyman,  has  remarked  to  me  that  he  considered 
it  no  disparagement  to  any  of  his  ministerial  brethren 
in  this  region  to  say  that  he  should  prefer  Mr.  M.  for 
his  minister  ;  though  he  can  not  be  said  to  excel  in 
preaching.  At  the  time  he  came  for  his  daughter,  I 
saw  him  only  a  moment.  After  expressing  a  great  in- 
terest in  the  school,  on  account  of  its  influence  on  so- 


74  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

ciety,  and  on  account  of  its  containing  so  many  teach- 
ers for  district  schools  the  ensuing  summer,  he  said  that 
he  had  been  anxious  for  its  spiritual  prosperity.  He 
only  said  it ;  but  it  found  a  resting-place  in  my  heart, 
and  there  it  has  rested  to  the  present  time.  I  could 
read,  in  his  countenance  and  manner,  that  it  was  not 
an  expression  of  common  interest.  It  seemed  suited 
at  once  to  encourage  and  reprove  me,  and  also  to  hum- 
ble me  in  the  dust.  I  have  since  learned,  in  more 
ways  than  one,  that  he  has  undoubtedly  had  great  anx- 
iety for  souls  here ;  and  I  believe  some  others  have  had 
a  like  spirit.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  attention 
commenced  among  the  young  ladies  from  Mr.  M.'s 
parish,  and  was  almost  entirely  confined  to  them  for 
some  time.  It  did  seem  that  the  prayers  of  this  good 
man  were  answered.  Ho  has  since  said  to  me,  that  he 
had  indeed  been  anxious  for  the  school ;  but  in  the  ar- 
dent desires  of  his  heart,  he  had  not  been  conscious  of 
making  any  selection,  even  though  he  had  a  daughter 
here  without  God  and  without  hope. 

"  This  daughter  returned  after  an  absence  of  three 
weeks  ;  but  her  father  said  he  did  not  bring  her,  de- 
pending on  the  school  to  give  her  a  new  heart.  She 
found  the  influences  in  her  room  entirely  changed. 

•/ 

Her  three  companions,  young  ladies  from  the  same 
town,  were  all  rejoicing  in  hope.  They  had  been  ar- 
dently desiring  her  return,  and  now  they  could  not  see 


AV  DERRY,   ASHFIELD,  AND  BUCK  LAND.  75 

her  willing  to  reject  the  Saviour.  She  was  immedi- 
ately affected  ;  but  I  did  not  dare  to  hope,  for  a  while, 
that  it  was  any  thing  but  sympathy.  Soon,  however, 
her  tears  were  exchanged  for  a  solemn  and  distressed 
countenance,  which  bespoke  deep,  heartfelt  sorrow. 
For  a  few  days,  her  distress  was  great.  Though  gen- 
erally very  much  inclined  to  converse,  she  would  now 
pass  the  whole  morning  without  scarcely  speaking  a 
word ;  and  her  companions,  though  possessing  all  the 
joy  and  ardor  of  young  converts,  were  awed  into  si- 
lence ;  and,  like  Job's  friends,  '  none  spake  a  word.' 
In  eight  days  after  her  return,  she  was  brought  to  re- 
joice in  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality. 

"  During  the  whole  winter,  Scripture  recitations 
have  been  uncommonly  impressive,  compared  with  the 
means  used  to  make  them  so.  This  interest  was  most 
manifest  when  the  subject  was  a  solemn  one,  such  as 
*  the  mercy  seat ; '  '  the  thunderings  of  .Mount  Sinai,' 
&c.  During  some  of  these  still  and  impressive  exer- 
cises, it  did  seem  that  the  effect  must  remain  ;  but  the 
first  recess  would  carry  it  all  away.  It  was  not  until 
about  the  middle  of  the  term  that  I  became  sensible 
that  professing  Christians  were  more  awake,  and  felt 
more  deeply  their  responsibility.  Sometimes  we  hoped 
that  the  mind  of  here  and  there  one  among  the  im- 

O 

penitent  was  not  quite  so  indifferent  as  usual.  The 
first  of  the  tenth  week  I  was  convinced  that  the  Holy 


76  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOff. 

Spirit  was  indeed  among  us.  From  this  time,  with  a 
very  few  apparent  interruptions,  the  work  went  for- 
ward with  a  regular  and  increasing  advance,  till  the 
very  last  day.  About  twenty  expressed  hope  in  the 
Saviour,  six  or  seven  left  without  hope,  of  whom  two 
were  not  deeply  affected.  One  of  them  tried  to  be 
interested,  depending  on  her  own  efforts  ;  but  her  ef- 
forts were  in  vain. 

"  The  work  was  very  still ;  so  much  so  that  many 
in  town  knew  scarcely  any  thing  about  it.  Our  school 
exercises  were  as  usual.  Many  of  our  friends,  who 
visited  us,  observed  nothing  to  mark  this  as  the  place 
where  the  Spirit  was  operating  so  powerfully,  except  a 
general  stillness,  and  here  and  there  a  deeply  solemn 
countenance.  But  to  us  connected  with  the  school 
the  work  has  appeared  great  and  wonderful.  We 
have  daily  said  to  each  other,  '  Can  this  be  true  ? ' 
It  has  been  earned  on  so  independently  of  means,  that 
we  have  frequently  felt  that  our  best  hopes  might  ea- 
sily be  blasted  ;  and  as  frequently  that  the  Lord  could 
work  and  none  could  hinder.  We  have  all  had  the 
conviction  daily  that  this  work  is  wholly  of  the  Lord. 
The  effect  of  this  revival  on  those  who  indulged  a  hope 
at  the  commencement  of  the  school  has  been  favorable. 
Many  of  them  seemed  to  leave  the  school  with  a  much 
higher  sense  of  their  obligation  to  labor  continual!) 
for  the  kingdom  of  Christ." 


/A'  DLXliY,  A*Hr/ELD,  AND  BUCKL.l.VD.  77 

111  this  letter  Miss  Lyon  speaks  of  "  a  separation  in 
the  school."  By  this  she  means  that  the  pupils  were 
requested  to  class  themselves  among  the  friends  of  God, 
or  otherwise,  according  to  their  own  convictions  of 
their  state.  When  this  was  done,  there  were  meetings 
once  a  week  for  each  class,  and  instructions  given 
suited  to  their  need.  She  had  first  seen  this  practiced 
in  a  school  by  Mr.  Emerson  in  Byfield,  and  subse- 
quently by  Miss  Grant  in  her  schools.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  first  time  she  had  done  it  herself,  but  she 
always  looked  back  upon  this  winfer  as  one  in  which 
she  was  specially  led  of  God,  and  ever  after  practiced 
this  course  in  her  own  schools. 

This  classification  was  usually  called  for  at  a  devo- 
tional exercise  in  the  opening  of  the  term,  and  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  any  who  were  asked  to  decide 
to  which  class  they  belonged.  We  can  even  now, 
after  the  lapse  of  years,  see  her  loving  eye  resting 
upon  us  after  the  names  had  been  taken  of  those  who 
had  professed  Christ  publicly ;  of  those  who  had  not 
done  this,  but  still  had  some  hope  in  him  ;  then  of 
those  who  had  no  hope.  We  hear  her  say  :  "  This 
should  remind  us  of  the  last  great  day  of  separation. 
If  death  should  come  to  us  to-night,  would  the  separa- 
tion be  the  same  as  this  now  made  ?  Is  it  not  almost 
certain  that  some  whose  names  are  written  as  Chris- 
tians, if  called  away,  would  hear  the  fearful  words,  '  I 


7S  RECOLLECTIONS   OP  MARY  LYON. 

never  knew  you.'  Are  there  not  many  whose  names 
are  written  without  hope  who  desire  to  begin  to  love 
the  Saviour  here?  Are  not  the  prayers  of  pious 
parents  in  heaven  and  on  earth  to  be  answered  in 
these  names  being  entered  in  the  Book  of  Life  ? " 
Those  were  solemn  moments  to  us  all,  when  Miss 
Lyon  thus  spoke,  and  the  prayers  that  followed  led 
not  a  few  to  feel,  as  never  before,  that  we  live  for 
eternity. 

In  her  letter  to  Miss  G.  she  also  speaks  of  Scripture 
recitations,  —  of  the  mercy-seat,  —  the  thunderings  of 
Mount  Sinai.  No  pupil  could  dwell  on  that  mercy-seat 
of  pure  gold  with  Miss  Lyon,  and  not  receive  a  deep 
impression ;  fixing  it  distinctly  in  mind  that  the 
length  thereof  was  two  cubits  and  a  half,  and  a  cubit 
and  a  half  the  breadth  thereof;  and  making  us  to  see 

'  O 

a  cherub  on  the  one  end,  and  a  cherub  on  the  other 
end1,  she  would  add,  with  deepest  reverence :  "  Now 
hear  God  say,  '  There  I  will  meet  thee,  and  commune 
with  thee  from  above  the  mercy-seat.'  Yes,  there, 
from  off  that  mercy-seat,  the  shadow  of  a  good  thing 
to  come,  even  of  Him  who  is  now  in  the  presence  of 
God  for  us,  we  hear  Jehovah  speak.  He  speaks  of 
mercy,  —  of  peace;  but  with  that  broken  law  honored, 
yes,  guarded  well  in  the  holy  ark  of  the  covenant,  and 
under  the  shadow  of  that  blessed  mercy-seat,  the  type 
of  Him  who  covereth  our  sins.  The  faces  of  the  cher- 


IN  DERRY,  ASHFIELD,  AND  BUCKLAND.  79 

ubim  are  toward  the  mercy-seat,  and  thus  the  holy 
angels  '  desire  to  look  into '  that  '  way  into  the  holi- 
est' of  all,  where  we  may  obtain  eternal  redemption. 
Shall  we  refuse  what  angels  desire  to  know  ?  " 

O 

Nor  was  the  lesson  from  Exodus  xix.  less  impressive, 
as  she  would  call  us  to  hear  God  say  to  Israel :  "  If  ye 
will  obey  my  voice  indeed  and  keep  my  covenant,  then 
ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  to  me  above  all  people." 
Then  she  would  bid  us  think  of  that  great  multitude, 
—  three  millions  at  least,  —  their  voices  resounding  like 
waves,  saying  "  all  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken,  we  will 
do."  "  This  was  a  striking  manifestation  to  them  when 
they  had  not  the  Bible ;  the  influences  of  the  Spirit 
were  then  mightily  felt.  There  were  many  circum 
stances  that  combined  to  give  overpowering  solemnity  : 
they  were  not  to  come  near  ;  to  wait  for  three  days  ;  the 
lightnings  and  thunderings  that  made  them  quake  as 
they  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  mount,  and  looked  up  to 
see  it  rising  to  heaven ;  the  sound  of  that  trumpet,  as 
if  blown  by  God  himself;  the  unearthly  stillness  of 
all  else ;  Sinai  on  smoke.  Is  it  not  a  fearful  thing  to 
break  a  law  thus  given  ?  But,  beloved,  you  are  spoken 
to,  not  from  Mount  Sinai,  but  from  Mount  Zion.  Jesus 
speaks.  See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  who  speaketh  from 
heaven,  and  who  would  give  you  a  kingdom,  which 
can  not  be  moved.  If  you  will  not  do  it,  you  shall 
realize  that  '  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire.'  " 


80  RECOLLECTIONS    OF    MARY  LYON. 

Such  were  some  of  those  "  still  impressive  exercises," 
in  which  the  whole  school  shared  from  day  to  clay. 
We  know  that  Miss  Lyon  labored  most  successfully  for 
Christians  through  that  winter,  though  she  hardly 
dared  to  think  it  was  so  at  the  time.  That  season  of 
blessing  led  her  to  feel  that  in  trying  to  benefit  Chris- 
tians, she  was  especially  laboring  with  Christ,  because 
of  the  love  he  bears  to  those  whom  he  has  redeemed. 
She  studied  the  epistles  of  Paul  with  new  interest,  and 
found  that  it  was  Christians  of  whom  he  "  alwrays  "  and 
"  without  ceasing "  made  mention  in  his  prayers,  and 
for  whom  he  thanked  God  on  every  remembrance, 
even  on  every  mention  of  their  names.  She  realized 
that  it  was  not  the  impenitent  alone  that  were  the  bur- 
den of  his  heart,  but  that  there  came  on  him  also  and 
daily  too  "  the  care  of  all  the  churches."  His  practi- 
cal instructions  were  made  hers,  as  she  met  Christians 
from  week  to  week.  She  did  not  ask  to  have  them 
removed  from  the  world,  but  that  they  might  be  kept 
from  the  evil  in  the  world,  by  being  clothed  upon  with 
Christ.  As  she  thus  prayed,  always  jealous  of  her 
own  heart,  and  thus  labored  for  Christians  and  the  im- 
penitent, and  brought  others  to  labor  also,  ever  look- 
ing up  and  saying,  "All  my  springs  are  in  Thee," 
should  we  not  expect  to  see  greater  things  than  these  ? 
Shall  we  wonder  that  the  next  year,  1829,  she  thus 
speaks  in  February  of  the  work  in  her  school  at  Buck- 


7  A"   DKRKY,   ASHFIELD,  AND  BUCKLAND.  81 

land :  "  I  can  not  describe  the  scenes  I  have  witnessed. 
It  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes. 
The  rapidity  with  which  this  work  of  grace  has  been 
carried  forward  the  week  past  has  never  been  equaled, 
I  think,  where  I  have  been  permitted  to  be  an  eye-wit- 
ness." There  were  fifteen  then  sealed  for  Christ  in  one 
week  in  her  school  of  seventy-four  pupils.  During  that 
winter,  Miss  Lyon  was  suffering  from  a  severe  family 
affliction,  and  she  has  told  us  that,  when  she  carried 
her  own  personal  trials  to  Christ,  she  found  it  easier 
than  at  any  other  time  to  speak  with  him  of  her  dear 
school. 

"Trials  made  the  promise  sweet; 
Trials  gave  new  life  to  prayer." 

The  following  summer  found  her  in  Ipswich,  with 
Miss  Grant,  laboring  in  a  revival  which  she  says  was 
"  silent  and  gradual,  but  the  effects  certain."  While 
many  remained  unaffected,  there  were  at  least  fifteen 
precious  souls,  as  was  believed,  sealed  for  eternal  life. 
She  said  of  this  :  "  When  I  can  realize  a  little  of  the 
value  of  one  soul,  I  feel  that  a  great  work  has  been 
accomplished  ;  but  when  I  remember,  that  Jesus  died 
for  all  our  pupils,  I  can  but  ask,  why  did  not  all  hear 
his  voice  ?  Did  my  unbelief  prevent  it  ?  " 

Miss  Lyon  passed  the  winter  of  1829-30  in  Buck- 
land.  It  was  understood  that  she  would  no  more 
come  into  those  parts,  to  abide  even  for  a  single  season. 


82  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

The  good  people  of  the  place  made  every  effort  to 
accommodate  boarders,  one  of  them  saying  :  "  Bring 
all  who  will  come.  We  will  board  them  all,  if  neces- 
sary, for  nothing."  When  no  other  place  could  be 
found,  this  gentleman  gave  up  a  large  room  in  the 
attic  of  his  house,  which  was  divided  into  four  apart- 
ments by  suspending  bedquilts  and  blankets,  and  was 
occupied  by  eight  persons.  He  received  twenty-four 
into  his  family  ;  and,  while  the  wife  was  sometimes  in- 
clined to  doubt  whether  they  derived  any  pecuniary 
benefit  from  such  boarders,  he  was  more  than  satisfied 
with  the  arrangement  when  he  saw  his  boys  stimulated 

•I 

to  greater  exertion  in  their  studies  by  them,  and  when, 
after  the  revival  commenced,  he  heard  the  low  mur- 
mur of  prayer  coming  from  every  room  in  his  house. 

The  school,  which  six  winters  before  had  only  twenty- 
five  pupils,  now  numbered  ninety-nine.  Miss  Lyon 
found  her  labors  abundant  and  "  cares  almost  over- 
whelming." But  she  "  never  had  so  good  a  school, 
never  saw  young  ladies  love  to  study  so  well,  and  nev- 
er more  docile."  She  had  herself  enjoyed  much  when 
studying,  but  said  this  winter :  "  Much  as  I  value  an 
education,  I  value  such  a  field  of  labor  as  this  more. 
Who  am  I,  that  so  many  parents  should  be  willing  to 
tnM  their  daughters  to  me;  and  what  was  my  father's 
house,  that  my  God  should  give  me  such  blessed  work 
from  year  to  year  ?  "  Early  in  the  term  she  saw  indi- 


LV  DKRRY,   ASIIFIELU,    AXD   BUCKLAND.  83 

cations  for  good  in  the  tenderness  of  some  of  the  im- 
penitent, and  felt  that  some  Christians  were  pleading 
earnestly  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  In  January,  she 
began  to  fear  that  the  great  blessing  was  to  be  denied  ; 
but  before  February  had  passed,  she  writes  :  "  It  does 
seem  as  if  we  had  nothing  to  do  this  week  but  to 
stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God."  "  The 
school  is  very  solemn,  and  marked  by  a  deep  and  per- 
vading stillness."  The  results  of  that  winter's  labors 
are  best  told  in  the  following  letter  to  a  sister,  written 
a  week  after  the  term  closed  :  — 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  give  you  a  description  of  this 
school ;  but  it  would  be  impossible.  I  believe  that  my 
schools  here  have  been  more  and  more  interesting 
every  winter  ;  and  we  all  think  this  has  been  most  so 
of  all.  I  have  never  witnessed  such  an  improvement 
in  moral  character,  in  ardent  desire  to  possess  meek- 
ness, humility,  patience,  perseverance,  &c.  A  spirit 
of  benevolence  has  seemed  to  reign  among  us  to  such  a 
degree  that  selfishness  has  appeared  to  most  of  our  little 
community  somewhat  in  its  own  character.  We  have 
made  it  an  object  to  gain  enlarged  and  correct  views, 
especially  relating  to  our  own  country,  its  present 
state,  its  interesting  character,  its  wants,  its  prospects, 
as  to  what  needs  to  be  done,  what  can  be  done,  what 
ought  to  be  done,  and,  finally,  as  to  what  is  our  duty. 
Many  intelligent,  refined  young  ladies,  who  have  been 


84  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

brought  up  in  the  lap  of  indulgence,  thought  they 
should  be  willing  to  go  to  the  remotest  corner  of  the 
world,  and  teach  a  school  among  the  most  degraded 
and  ignorant,  might  it  only  be  said  of  them  by  their 
Master  as  it  was  said  of  one  of  old,  '  She  hath  done 
what  she  could.'  But  more  than  all,  we  have  been 
visited  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Soon 
after  the  commencement  of  the  school,  the  gentle  dews 
began  to  descend  and  continued  to  increase  until  the 
last  week,  when  we  were  blessed  with  a  plentiful  and 
refreshing  shower.  More  than  thirty  expressed  some 
hope  that  they  had  found  the  Saviour  precious  to  their 
souls.  At  the  commencement  of  the  term  more  than 
forty  indulged  this  hope.  Among  these  there  was  evi- 
dently great  improvement  in  Christian  character.  It 
has  seemed  as  if  the  effects  of  this  work  of  the  Spirit 
must  continue." 

And  they  did  continue.  Miss  Lyon  often  remarked  : 
"  How  easy  it  is  to  work  with  the  Holy  Spirit !  "  It 
was  easy  for  her,  because  she  was,  as  it  were,  one  with 
that  Spirit.  Those  closing  days  in  Buckland  she 
worked  "  with  the  Spirit ;  "  and,  feeling  that  she  was 
doing  her  last  work  for  many,  her  mind  and  heart 
wrought  with  a  power  almost  divine.  Mrs.  Cowles, 
who  knew  her  well,  has  said  :  "In  seasons  of  the  most 
intimate  communion,  her  words  were  often  apples  of 
gold  which  one  could  wish  to  preserve  in  pictures  of 


IN  DERRY,   ASffFtELD,    AXD   DUCKLAXD.  85 

silver.  Nothing  but  pearls  and  diamonds  fell  from  her 
lips."  One  of  those  Buckland  pupils  has  furnished  us 
with  a  few  of  those  precious  words  which  fell  from  her 
lips  when  they  were  sorrowing  lest  they  should  see  her 
face  no  more.  She  says :  "  Miss  Lyon  has  said  to  us 
many  times  during  the  winter :  '  What  you  will  do  in 
the  world  may  depend  very  much  on  the  way  you 
spend  your  time  here.'  And  when  that  time  was  spent 
and  we  were  about  to  go  forth,  as  we  listened  to  her 
words,  we  felt  that  through  her  we  were  hearing  a 
voice  from  heaven.  We  can  never  forget  her  earnest- 
ness as  she  said  :  '  Now  I  trust  you  will  be  inflexible 
in  regard  to  the  right.  Do  not  yield  that,  even  to 
please  kings ;  but  be  very  careful  to  distinguish  between 
the  right  and  personal  gratification.'  '  Make  all  you 
can  of  your  intellectual  and  moral  powers  and  of  your 
influence  over  others.'  '  Do  something ;  have  a 
plan  ;  live  for  some  purpose ;  be  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious and  understand  what  you  are  to  do ;  but  do  not 
expect  to  make  over  this  world,  or  to  greatly  change 
your  condition  in  it ;  but  seek,  rather,  to  be  ready  to 
do  and  to  bear  what  comes  in  your  way.  Be  willing  to 
do  any  thing  any  where  that  Providence  seems  to  lay 
upon  you.'  '  Do  not  expect  to  be  independent  because 
educated.  Ladies  never  can  be  independent ;  and 
those  best  educated  most  feel  their  dependence.  They 
must  expect  great  demands  to  be  made  upon  their  time 

8 


86  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY   LYOX. 

and  strength  ;  and  they  should  meet  them  in  the  spirit 
of  Him  who  came  to  minister,  rather  than  to  be  min- 
istered unto.  You  will  find  no  pleasure  like  the  pleas- 
ure of  active  effort.  May  God  give  every  one  of  you 
more  and  more  for  your  heart  and  hands  to  do,  and 
more  and  more  fellowship  with  Christ  in  his  sufferings. 
Never  be  hasty  to  decide  that  you  can  not  do,  because 
you  have  not  physical  or  mental  strength.  Never  say 
you  have  no  faith  or  hope.  Always  think  of  God's 
strength  when  you  feel  your  weakness,  and  remember 
that  you  can  come  nearer  to  him  than  to  any  being  in 
the  universe.  We  have  desired  to  educate  you  to  go 
among  the  rich  or  the  poor,  to  live  in  the  country  or 
the  village,  in  New  England,  the  West,  or  in  a  foreign 
land.  And,  wherever  you  are,  remember  that  God 
will  be  with  you,  if  you  seek  to  do  good  to  immortal 
souls.'  " 

The  traces  of  the  beneficial  influence  of  these 
schools  may  still  be  seen  strongly  impressed  on  all  the 
hill  towns  about  Buckland  and  Ashfield.  Eternity 
alone  can  disclose  what  those  pupils  have  done  for  im- 
mortal souls.  Many  remember  how  they  labored,  in 
the  spirit  and  with  the  Spirit,  in  the  revivals  of 
1830-31,  which  so  soon  followed.  Many  young  hearts 
had  seen  in  them  that  there  is  a  beauty  in  holiness  ; 
and  many  an  Elijah  heard  from  them  that  there  is  a 
little  cloud,  even  as  a  man's  hand,  rising  in  the  dis- 


7  A'  DERRY,  ASHFIELD,  AND   BUCKLAND.  87 

tance.  The  Elijalis  could  be  sure  that  they  would 
watch  the  spreading  cloud  ;  and,  when  there  was  abun- 
dance of  rain,  so  that  plants  of  righteousness  were 
springing  up  on  every  side,  they  knew  that,  like  her  at 
whose  feet  they  had  sat,  they  would  watch  carefully  to 
see  that  not  a  leaf  or  twig  of  the  tender  plants  was 
turned  out  of  its  place. 

We  find  the  value  of  Miss  Lyon's  labors  already  so 
fully  appreciated,  that  Mr.  Griswold,  who  had  so  gen- 
erously welcomed  her  and  her  scholars  to  his  house  at 
the  commencement  of  this  term,  proposed  to  combine 
with  others  in  erecting  a  large  building  in  Buckland 
for  her  school,  that  it  might  be  permanently  established 
there  ;  but  the  Lord's  time  had  not  come.  His  instru- 
ment was  not  yet  fully  fitted  for  her  work. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


Jfounbing  0f  glount 


FOUR  YEARS  AT  IPSWICH  —  EDUCATING  THE  FUTURE  MOTHERS  OF 
AMERICA  —  DESIRE  FOR  A  PERMANENT  INSTITUTION  FOR  FEMALE 
EDUCATION  —  SELF-CONSECRATION  TO  THIS  OBJECT  —  THE  CORKER- 
STONE  LAID  —  FRIENDS  AND  HELPERS  —  NAMES  OF  THE  FOUNDERS 
GRATEFULLY  CHERISHED  —  UNWEARIED  LABORS  —  DR.  HITCHCOCK'S 
TESTIMONY. 

FOR  four  years  after  leaving  Buckland,  Miss  Lyon 
was  associated  with  Miss  Grant  in  Ipswich.  There 
they  were  richly  blessed  in  labor,  and  many  souls  were 
brought  to  Christ.  There  they  enjoyed  some  seasons 
of  very  marked  outpourings  of  the  Spirit.  One  year 
they  could  say  :  "  There  is  seldom  a  time  when  some 
one  belonging  to  the  seminary  is  not  apparently  seeking 
the  way  of  eternal  life."  They  saw  pupils  go  forth  to 
bless  homes  and  to  bless  the  world,  and  their  hearts  re- 
joiced. They  thanked  the  Lord  that  they  could  pre- 
pare teachers  ;  and,  in  speaking  of  seeing  young  ladies 
who  had  gone  from  them,  in  their  own  homes,  Miss 
Lyon  says  :  "  I  have  realized  more  than  ever  before 
that  my  field  of  labor  was  among  the  most  desirable. 
I  have  thanked  God,  who  has  given  me  this  work  to 
(88) 


MOCXT  UOLYOKE    SEMINARY.  89 

do.  Oh,  how  immensely  important  is  the  preparation 
of  the  daughters  of  the  land  to  be  good  mothers !  If 
they  are  prepared  for  this  situation,  they  will  have  the 
most  important  preparation  which  they  can  have  for 
any  other.  While,  in  the  good  providence  of  God,  I 
have  been  permitted  to  occupy  a  field  of  labor  where 
I  could  aid  in  preparing  some  who  must  mold  the  char- 
acter of  future  generations  for  their  great  work,  and 
while  I  have  enjoyed  much  in  my  labor,  I  have  not 
been  quite  satisfied."  Thus  she  wrote  her  mother  in 
1834,  feeling,  as  when  a  child,  that  in  every  step  she 
must  have  her  mother's  approval.  She  was  not  satis- 
fied ;  for  from  her  quiet  scene  of  labor  she  looked  out 
upon  a  world.  She  did  not  talk  of  woman's  rights, 
and  said  little  of  woman's  sphere  ;  but  she  did  love  to 
dwell  on  the  great  work  God  has  given  woman  to  do  ; 
and  she  was  convinced  that  to  do  that  work  well  she 
must  be  educated. 

Miss  Lyon  was  often  heard  to  say :  "  It  does  seem 
to  me  a  less  evil  that  farmers  and  mechanics  have 
scanty  stores  of  knowledge,  such  as  our  common 
schools  give,  than  that  their  wives,  the  mothers  of 
their  children,  should  be  uneducated."  She  longed  to 
see  woman's  mind  better  trained  ;  to  see  the  public 
feeling  that  it  must  be  so,  and  making  as  liberal  provi- 
sion for  the  education  of  their  daughters  as  of  their 
sons.  She  believed  that  there  must  be  permanent  sem- 

8* 


90  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

inaries  for  young  ladies,  under  boards  of  trustees,  to 
secure  the  best  literary  and  religious  advantages,  and 
to  give  the  public  confidence  that  the  advantages  of  a 
good  school  would  not  pass  away  with  teachers 
then  on  the  stage.  About  this  time,  good  Mr.  Emer- 
son was  called  to  heaven.  As  she  saw  the  chariot  of 
God  bear  him  above,  and  received  his  falling  mantle, 
she  asked  more  earnestly  than  ever  before  that  a  house 
might  be  built  to  his  God,  whither  American  daugh- 
ters might  go  up,  till  the  end  of  time,  to  be  educated 
for  high  and  holy  service  on  earth,  and  whose  works 
should  follow  them  when  they  should  rest  from  labors 
here. 

Her  own  words  give  her  ideas  of  permanency  : 
"  The  permanency  of  an  institution  is  found  in  its 
perpetual  vitality  and  in  its  continued  prosperity  and 
usefulness.  The  first  is  to  be  secured  in  the  same 
manner  that  the  principle  of  perpetual  life  in  our 
higher  institutions  for  young  men  has  been  so  effect- 
ually preserved.  A  fund  is  to  be  committed  to  an 
independent,  self-perpetuating  board  of  trustees,  known 
to  the  churches  as  faithful,  responsible  men ;  not  as 
a  proprietary  investment,  but  as  a  free  offering,  leaving 
them  no  way  for  an  honorable  retreat  from  their  trust, 
and  binding  them  with  solemn  responsibilities,  to  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  donors,  who  have  committed 
their  sacred  charities  to  their  conscientious  fidelity. 


MOI'M'   IIOLYOKE   HLM.'XARY.  91 

Most  of  our  distinguished  female  seminaries  have  nc 
principle  of  perpetual  life.  Amidst  all  their  pros- 
perity, they  have  no  solid  foundation,  and,  in  them 
selves,  no  sure  principle  of  continued  existence 
Could  we  secure  to  our  public  institutions  the  con 
tinued  labors  of  the  same  teachers,  through  an  ante- 
diluvian life,  the  preservation  of  the  vital  principle 
would  be  a  subject  of  much  less  consequence.  But 
in  view  of  the  present  shortened  life  of  man,  and  in 
view  of  the  many  changes  which  are  breaking  in  upon 
the  continued  services  of  those  to  whose  care  these  in- 
stitutions are  committed,  eveiy  reflecting  mind  must 
regard  it  as  of  the  very  first  importance  to  secure 
this  principle." 

George  W.  Heard,  Esq.,  of  Ipswich,  whose  name 
and  encouragement  in  the  work  Miss  Lyon  always 
gratefully  remembered,  says  of  her  at  this  time: 
"  Plans  for  founding  a  permanent  seminaiy  engaged 
her  thoughts  early  and  late,  and,  I  might  almost  say, 
unceasingly."  He  saw  her  "  reliant  trust  in  Provi- 
dence," and  cheerfully  helped  one  whom  God  was 
using  in  so  noble  a  cause.  Miss  Lyon  saw  very 
great  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  founding  such  an 
institution,  but  she  said :  "  I  do  believe  such  a  work 
will  be  effected  at  some  future  day,  perhaps  some 
twenty  or  fifty  years  from  this  time."  As  she  with- 
drew from  Ipswich,  in  the  autumn  of  1834,  to  give 


92  &KCOLLKCT10XS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

herself  wholly  to  the  noble  cause,  she  said :  "  I  never 
had  a  prospect  of  engaging  in  any  labor,  which  seemed 
so  directly  the  work  of  the  Lord  as  this.  It  is  very 
t,  in  the  midst  of  darkness  and  doubt,  to  commit 
the  whole  to  his  guidance."  But  she  adds:  "I  am 
about  to  embark  in  a  frail  boat  on  a  boisterous  sea. 
I  know  not  whither  I  shall  be  driven,  nor  how  I 
shall  be  tossed,  nor  to  what  port  I  shall  be  directed." 
It  is  true  that  she  was  in  a  frail  bark  and  on  an 
unexplored,  as  well  as  boisterous  sea ;  for  as  yet  there 
was  no  such  seminary  as  she  proposed  in  our  land  or 
world.  But  the  cause  was  committed  to  One  who 
knew  every  shoal,  breaker,  and  circling  eddy  of  that 
sea.  Rich  in  the  choicest  pilots,  he  gave  some  to  go 
forth  with  her  in  the  first  launching  of  the  frail 
boat ;  and  when,  upon  the  deep  sea,  the  waves  seemed 
ready  to  swallow  it  up,  he  had  in  reserve  others  with 
no  less  skill  to  go  to  her  aid.  And  so,  after  two  years 
of  tossings  and  calling  unto  God  from  the  depths,  we 
find  that  there  came  a  day  in  which  he  stilled  the 
waves  and  the  billows,  and  "  commanded  his  loving- 
kindness,"  and  that  day  was  Oct.  3d,  1836,  when 
those  friends  came  together  and  laid  the  corner-stone 
of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary.  Miss  Lyon  then  wrote : 
"  And  I  have  indeed  lived  to  see  the  time  when  a  body 
of  gentlemen  have  ventured  to  lay  the  corner-stone 
of  an  edifice  which  will  cost  about  815,000,  and  will 


MUL'.\'T  II OL  YOKE   SEMINARY.  93 

be  an  institution  for  the  education  of  females."  Upon 
that  corner-stone  she  stooped  down  and  wrote :  "  The 
Lord  hath  remembered  our  low  estate,"  and  felt  that 
another  stone  in  the  foundation  of  our  great  system  of 
benevolent  operations,  which  are  destined,  in  the  hand 
of  God,  to  convert  the  world,  had  been  laid. 

She  said  of  the  prospective  seminary :  "  Had  I  a 
thousand  lives,  I  could  sacrifice  them  all  in  suffering 
and  hardship  for  its  sake.  Did  I  possess  the  greatest 
fortune,  I  could  readily  relinquish  it  all,  and  become 
poor  and  more  than  poor,  if  its  prosperity  should  de- 
mand it."  She  thanked  God  for  the  privilege  of 
doing,  saying :  "  The  feeble  efforts  which  I  am  per- 
mitted to  put  forth  in  cooperating  with  others  in  lay- 
ing the  foundation  of  this  new  seminary  will  probably 
do  more  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  after  I  am  laid  in  my 
grave,  than  all  I  have  done  in  my  life  before." 

Miss  Lyon  went  forth  to  her  work  committing  it  to 
God.  If  ever  one  prayed  "without  ceasing"  she  did. 
She  knew  how  to  come  to  God,  for  she  beliered  that 
"  he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  dili- 
gently seek  him."  She  has  told  us  that  from  a  child, 
she  never  knew  what  it  was  to  be  skeptical.  She 
could  no  more  doubt  God's  existence  than  her  own. 
She  had  known  what  it  was  to  go  to  an  earthly 
father  with  all  the  desires  of  her  young  heart ;  and  she 
fully  believed  that  her  heavenly  Father  was  as  ready 


94  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

to  hear  her,  if  she  was  as  ready  to  trust  him.  And 
now,  assured  that  she  was  doing  God's  work,  she  car- 
ried every  thing  to  him.  She  expected  to  meet  trials 
as  she  went  on,  and  she  says  she  never  asked  to  be 
free  from  them  ;  she  only  desired  God's  will  to  be 
done.  She  longed  for  the  sympathy  of  friends  in  the 
work  ;  but  she  has  told  us  that  she  became  willing  to 
labor,  if  there  were  only  a  very  few  to  go  with  her. 
But  friends  were  given  her  and  her  cause.  Once, 
when  fearing  that  she  had  grieved  one  who  had  been 
aiding  her,  she  retired  to  her  chamber  to  plead  with 
God  that  that  friend's  interest  might  still  be  given 
to  the  dear  seminary,  willing  to  lose  it  herself,  if  her 
Father  saw  that  to  be  necessary.  She  loved  to  trace 
that  Father's  hand  in  providing  each  of  these  friends. 
Her  book  of  Providence  was  a  very  large  one,  and  it 
was  a  rich  feast  to  sit  by  her  side,  have  her  open 
page  after  page,  and  hear  her  read  those  parts  where 
"  Providence "  was  inscribed  on  the  left-hand  page, 
and  "  Friends  of  the  Seminary  "  on  the  right-hand. 
Mr.  Choate  of  Essex  tells  us  how  gently  he  and  oth- 
ers in  Eastern  Massachusetts  tried  to  rock  the  cradle 
of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary,  and  how,  at  Miss  Lyon's 
bidding,  they  endeavored  carefully  to  carry  it  in  their 
arms.  Miss  Lyon  has  told  us  how  that  band  of 
noble  men  did  rock  that  cradle  till  it  found  a  resting- 
place  in  South  Hadley.  She  would  say  :  "  I  want 


MOUXT    I10LYOKE    SEMINARY.  05 

every  one  of  my  pupils  to  know  the  names  of  Dana, 
Felt,  Choate,  Heard,  and  Packard.  We  owe  them 
much.  They  were  our  friends  when  our  cause  had 
hardly  taken  a  place  among  the  good  objects  of  our 
day.  Upon  the  one  thousand  dollars  *  given  by  the 
Ipswich  ladies,  for  the  seminary,  she  looked  very  much 
as  she  did  upon  the  first  money  given  her  by  her 
brother.  She  could  seldom  speak  of  those  friends 
without  a  moistened  eye,  and  her  early  Holyoke  pupils 
were  not  slow  to  make  their  names  household  words,  as 
well  as  the  names  of  all  those  who  were  numbered 
among  the  patrons  and  guardians  of  the  seminary  while 
it  was  yet  in  its  infancy.  One  of  the  early  pupils  says  : 
"  I  had  been  hardly  a  week  in  South  Hadley  before  I 
had  heard  of  all  those  early  friends  of  the  seminary 
from  Miss  Lyon's  lips.  She  had  so  told  us  of  Dr. 
Humphrey  and  Dr.  Hitchcock,  that  the  very  mention 
of  their  names  filled  us  with  reverence.  We  had 
heard  of  the  faithfulness  of  Mr.  Tyler  and  Mr.  Bow- 
doin,  and  were  assured  that  Deacon  Safford,  Deacon 
Porter,  and  Deacon  Avery  would  soon  come  to  see 
us.  And  when  they  came,  their  kind  interest  showed 
us  that  their  heart  was  even  as  Miss  Lyon's  heart. 
We  saw  that  they  needed  not  the  Pauline  injunction : 
*  Help  those  women  that  labored  with  me  in  the 

*  This  was  the  first  donation  made  toward  the  seminary,  and  was  often 
spoken  of  by  Miss  Lyon  as  its  corner-stone. 


96  RECOLLECTIONS   OF    MARY  LYO.V. 

Lord.'  '  Miss  Lyon  had  said,  in  1834,  that  those  who 
should  first  put  a  hand  to  this  work,  saying  to  others, 
"  Come  and  do  likewise,"  would  "  deserve  a  place  vrith 
Mills  and  Robert  Raikes,  and  others  of  like  eminence." 
We  would  join  their  names  with  Miss  Lyon's  in  what 
one  has  said  of  her,  and  repeat :  "  Oh  !  what  a  glo- 
rious gate  to  heaven  they  were  permitted  to  rear.  And 
as,  age  after  age,  the  long  procession  of  redeemed  ones 
shall  pass  through  into  the  kingdom,  and  each  shall 
add  a  star  to  their  crowns,  what  a  reward  will  they 
eternally  be  reaping !  "  Their  names  are  reverenced 
on  earth,  and  we  are  confident  that  our  God  has  writ- 
ten them  among  those  whose  works  shall  follow  them, 
not  only  to  heaven,  but  through  all  eternity.  They 
not  only  saw  that  corner-stone  laid,  and  sympathized 
most  tenderly  with  Miss  Lyon  as  she  wept  tears  of  joy 
over  the  fallow  ground  now  broken  up,  but,  as  they 
saw  those  rising  walls,  they  could  say  with  her :  "  The 
stones  and  brick  and  mortar  speak  a  language  which 
vibrates  through  the  very  soul."  They  prayed  with 
her  that  the  walls  of  the  new  seminary  might  be  salva- 
tion, its  gates  praise,  and  **  that  no  wicked  hand  might 
ever  be  allowed  to  turn  it  aside  from  its  consecration  to 
the  Redeemer." 

It  was  more  than  a  year  after  the  laying  of  that 
corner-stone,  before  the  seminary  was  opened  for  the 
reception  of  pupils,  and  Miss  Lyon  felt  that  she  had 


MO  UN  T  HOL  YOKE  SL.VIXA  RT.  07 

again,  to  use  her  own  w.ords,  "  a  footing  sufficiently 
firm  for  her  feet  to  rest  upon  for  the  remainder  of  her 
days,  and  where  her  hands  could  work"  for  young 
ladies,  who,  she  hoped  would  live  for  Christ.  No  hu- 
man pen  can  record  the  labors  of  that  year.  At  one 
time  she  was  by  Dea.  Porter's  side,  watching  the 
growing  edifice;  at  another  making  arrangements  for 
furnishing  the  seminary,  by  writing  letters  and  circu- 
lars. She  accompanied  Mr.  Hawkes,  as  he  went  from 
town  to  town  to  solicit  funds,  —  a  work  which  she  once 
said,  "  cost  me  more  trial  of  feeling  than  any  thing  I 
ever  did,  because  I  knew  that  my  reasons  for  doing  it 
were  not  understood."  But  she  added  with  a  smile : 
"Perhaps  I  should  not  have  sufficiently  valued  the 
precious  opportunity  for  laboring,  that  is  now  mine, 
had  I  not  passed  through  just  this  trial."  But  with 
all  this  labor  and  trial,  she  found  many  bright  spots  in 
the  pilgrimage  and  toils  of  that  year.  One  was  "  a 
very  interesting  little  meeting  in  Dea.  Safford's  par- 
lor," in  Boston,  at  the  close  of  which  a  subscription  of 
more  than  three  thousand  dollars  was  taken  up  for  the 
new  seminary.  As  she  used  to  dwell  on  that  meeting, 
she  would  tell  us  how  Mr.  Stoddard,  of  Boston,  first 
said  to  her,  "  Dea.  Safford  is  just  the  man  to  carry 
forward  this  work  "  for  you  ;  and  how,  while  ^he  was 
praying  over  it,  yet  another  friend  had  said  the  same 
to  her ;  and  then  how,  in  course  of  time,  she  received 


98  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

letters  from  Dea.  Safford,  that  led  her  to  his  house. 
And  she  would  say :  "  I  can  not  describe  my  feelings  as 
I  found  myself  really  at  his  door.  Between  the  ring- 
ing of  the  door-bell  and  the  response,  I  tried  to  roll 
all  my  care  upon  the  Lord,  and  to  be  willing  to  receive 
not  one  encouraging  word,  if  so  my  God  might  be 
most  honored.  But  he  was  better  to  me  than  my 
fears.  I  found,  in  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Safford,  hearts  all 
ready  to  enter  into  my  plans.  God  had  prepared  those 
hearts."  And  at  this  point,  she  would  perhaps  be 
able  to  go  no  further,  only  adding :  "  How  faithful  is  our 
God !  "  But  another  day  would  find  her  asking  you  to 
sit  close  by  her,  while  she  should  tell  you  a  little  of 
her  first  visit  in  Monson,  when  Dea.  Porter  was  se- 
cured for  the  dear  seminary.  She  never  forgot  to  tell 
the  one  listening  to  her,  that  she  did  not  find  Mr.  Por- 
ter at  home  when  she  first  went  to  his  house,  and  that 
she  had  two  days  of  prayer,  and  of  seeking  to  be 
willing  to  give  up  the  counsels  and  aid  of  the  man 
who  seemed  so  very  desirable,  before  she  could  even 
talk  with  him.  And  she  would,  add :  "  And  now  don't 
you  think  God  has  given  us,  in  Mr.  Porter,  the  very 
best  man  his  storehouse  could  furnish  ?  " 

With  delight  we  learned  those  lessons  of  truth  and 

o 

submission  from  Miss  Lyon,  with  their  fruits  before  us 
in  the  seminary.  She  used  to  say  more  impressively 
than  any  one  to  whom  we  ever  listened :  "  Experience 


MOUNT  HOLYOKE  SEMINARY.  09 

has  taught  me  to  fear  the  gratification  of  any  ardent 
desire,  unless  I  first  feel  a  perfect  willingness  to  yield 
my  will  entirely."  In  the  yielding  of  that  will,  Provi- 
dence gave  her  some  of  the  choicest  spirits  on  earth  to 
help  her  build  a  house  to  the  Lord.  Some  of  these 
had  known  her  in  early  years,  while  others  had  become 
links  in  the  golden  chain  of  friends  of  a  later  period. 
They  were  all  loved  by  her,  and  esteemed  very  highly 
for  their  work's  sake.  Perhaps  the  estimate  of  these 
friends  of  hers  can  not  better  be  expressed  than  in  the 
words  of  Dr.  Hitchcock,  of  Amherst,  at  the  recent 
quarter-century  celebration  of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary. 
After  alluding  to  her  being  in  his  family  when  he  was 
a  pastor  in  Conway  more  than  forty  years  before,  as 
well  as  at  later  periods,  he  says  :  "  And  then  how  often 
have  I  met  her  in  a  great  variety  of  circumstances  in 
subsequent  years !  Yet  I  feel  constrained  to  testify, 
what  I  could  of  only  one  or  two  human  beings,  that,  in 
all  this  intercourse,  I  can  not  recall  any  thing  morally 
wrong  in  her  words  or  actions,  nor  unkind  or  ungen- 
erous feeling  toward  any  human  being,  although  often 
sorely  provoked  by  their  treatment  of  her.  I  do  not 
mean  that  Miss  Lyon  had  attained  to  Christian  perfec- 
tion ;  but,  were  any  one  to  assert  that  such  a  grace 
was  hers,  I  confess  that  my  memory  could  bring  no 
facts  to  refute  the  claim." 

But  we  must  not  dwell  longer  on  those  friends,  who 


100  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

were  given  to  found  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary,  and  who, 
to  use  Miss  Lyon's  own  words,  "  were  raised  up  and 
brought  into  the  field  just  when  and  where  they  were 
needed,  and  were  continually  receiving  fresh  anoint- 
ings from  the  Lord  for  the  holy  service." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
Jfirst  g)ar. 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEMINARY  —  RECITATIONS  —  EDWARDS'  HUTORT 
OF  REDEMPTION  —  BIBLE  LESSONS  —  RELIGIOUS  EXERCISES  —  MISS 
LYON'S  BIBLE  AND  HYMN  BOOK  —  WEEKLY  RELIGIOUS  MEETINGS  — 
THE  HOUSE-KEEPING  DEPARTMENT  —  JOY  IN  SUCCESS  —  THE  FIRST 
ANNIVERSARY  —  MISS  LYON'S  MANNER  ON  ANNIVERSARY  OCCASIONS. 

~VT~OV.  8,  1837,  was  the  day  fixed  for  the  opening  of 
-L  i  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary.  Sept.  14th,  of  the  same 
year,  Miss  Lyon  had  written  to  Miss  Grant  :  "  When  I 
look  through  to  Nov.  8,  it  seems  like  looking  down  a 
precipice  of  many  hundred  feet,  which  I  must  descend. 
I  can  only  avoid  looking  at  the  bottom,  and  fix  my  eye 
on  the  nearest  stone,  till  I  have  safely  reached  it." 
With  the  eye  fixed  on  Him  who  cared  for  her,  she 
went  forward  ;  and,  on  the  appointed  day,  she  had  her 
eighty  young  ladies  with  her,  as  of  old,  thankful  for 
such  a  precious  charge,  and  sad  in  the  thought  that  she 
had  been  obliged  to  refuse  other  eighties,  because  there 
was  no  place  for  them  in  the  house  that  had  been 
builded  to  the  Lord.  It  is  not  strange  that  she  was 

',  *  (101) 


102  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

not  at  rest  till  able  to  lengthen  the  cords  of  her  taber- 
nacle, while  so  many  were  left  without ;  and  indeed  the 
pattern  first  shown  her  in  the  Mount  provided  for  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  rather  than  eighty.  But  as  the 
offerings  of  God's  people  were  not  sufficient  for  this, 
she  said  :  "  We  will  begin,  and  when  it  shall  be  seen 
what  is  the  manner  of  our  building,  and  the  ordi- 
nances of  our  house,  may  be  the  wise-hearted  will  give 
us  of  their  treasures  till  we  can  finish  building  the  house 
of  the  Lord." 

Perhaps  Miss  Lyon  never  more  endeared  herself  to 
any  pupils  than  those  of  the  first  year.  Their  zeal  for 
the  prosperity  of  the  new  seminary  was  hardly  less 
than  her  own.  They  loved  it  all  the  more  for  the 
sacrifices  they  were  called  to  make,  —  for  sharing  her 
toils.  They  can  never  forget  her  manner,  as  she  said : 
"  Every  brick  of  this  house  is  sacred  to  the  Lord. 
All  the  money  given  to  it  was  consecrated  by  prayer. 
I  look  upon  all  as  just  as  sacred  as  if  the  means  had 
been  drawn  directly  from  our  missionary  treasuries. 
The  founders  of  this  institution  expect  (and  they 
have  a  right  to  expect  it)  that  it  will  be  a  fountain  of 
good  to  the  world ;  that  the  cause  of  Christ  will  be 
advanced  by  the  influences  that  go  forth  from  it. 

"  You  must  not  call  this  Miss  Lyon's  school.  I  regard 
it  so  much  a  child  of  Providence,  that  I  do  not  like 
to  have  my  name  made  prominent.  And  you  would 


Tlir    FIRST   YEAR.  103 

X 

look  upon  it  much  as  I  do,  if  you  could  see  a  few  of 
the  many  gulfs,  that  were  to  me  impassable,  made 
passable  by  a  divine  hand.  All  has  sometimes  seemed 
to  hang  upon  some  slight  pivot,  without  which  the 
whole  would  have  fallen  to  the  ground.  I  can  see  a 
ruling  Hand  in  every  thing  connected  with  its  estab- 
lishment ;  and  I  would  have  you  ever  remember  that 
you  are  being  educated  in  an  institution  built  by  the 
hand  of  the  Lord,  and  that  you  are  not  to  live  for 
yourselves."  We  should  add  that  Miss  Lyon  contin- 
ued to  speak  words  like  these,  each  succeeding  year  of 
her  life,  to  those  whom  she  was  so  happy  as  to  call 
her  pupils,  and  perhaps  no  one  ever  left  her  to  be 
happy  in  living  for  herself. 

None  of  those  early  pupils  can  ever  forget  the 
recitation  rooms,  where  Miss  Lyon  made  them  delight 
in  Whately's  Logic  and  Butler's  Analogy ;  and 
we  can  see  her  even  now  writh  Edwards'  History  of 
Redemption  in  her  hand,  and  seem  to  feel  that  we  are 
again  seated  with  her  in  that  first  reading-room  of  the 
seminary,  listening  to  the  story  of  the  wondrous  plan 
for  saving  man.  In  her  teachings,  we  found  Christ  on 
every  page  of  the  Old  Testament.  She  led  us  on 
from  that  first  promise  to  Adam,  lying  so  low  in  his  fall, 
through  types  and  shadows  pointing  to  the  Messiah,  till, 
with  Isaiah,  we  stood  on  the  mountain-top,  and  could 
see  the  Desire  of  all  nations  coming  to  his  holy  tern- 


104  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

pie.  We  discovered  then  a  fullness  in  Christ,  not  be- 
fore understood,  and  we  sang  the  hymn  of  our  child- 
hood with  new  delight :  — 

"Holy.  Bible,  book  divine, 
Precious  treasure  "  — 

Those  readings  of  Edwards  were  always  between  the 
morning  and  afternoon  service  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
attendance  upon  them  was  entirely  voluntary.  We 
are  sure  that  all  who  learned  of  Christ  through  Ed- 
wards and  Mary  Lyon  will  thank  God  throughout 
eternity  for  those  blessed  seasons. 

And  they  will  thank  him  also  for  the  Bible  Lessons 
that  followed  on  Monday  morning.  Miss  Lyon  always 
expected  us  to  make  ourselves  familiar  with  every  thing 
in  the  Bible  in  reference  to  the  individuals  or  scenes 
brought  before  us.  She  was  at  home  in  all  that  God 
had  said  of  them ;  and  when  she  saw  that  we  were 
also,  she  would  make  us  recognize  God's  hand  in  every 
thing.  And  did  we  not  fear  him,  as  we  went  with  her, 
over  five  hundred  years,  from  the  destruction  of  Jer- 
icho, to  see  Hiel  come  up  from  Bethel  to  build  again 
the  cursed  city  ?  And  did  we  not  tremble  as  we  saw 
Abiram,  his  beloved  first-born,  fall  in  the  beginning  of 
the  work  ?  But  still  she  led  us  on  to  see  those  gates  of 
Jericho  set  up,  and,  amidst  the  joy  and  shouting  as 
the  top-stone  was  laid,  we  must  go  and  stand  by  the 


TlIE   FIRST   YEAR.  105 

grave  of  the  youthful  Segub,  and  remember  that  not 
a  word  that  our  God  has  spoken  can  be  forgotten  and 
not  be  fulfilled.  Another  Monday  morning,  she  would 
lead  us  to  feel  that  we  should  just  as  surely  be  left  to 
worship  a  Baal,  as  did  Ahab  of  old,  if  the  child  of 
Ethbaal  must  be  our  chosen  friend. 

But  Miss  Lyon's  first  year's  pupils  and  all  others 
must  for  ever  remember  those  three  mornings  of  the 
week,  when  she  gathered  all  her  family  around  her  in 
the  seminary  hall,  and  unfolded  religious  truth. 
She  always  entered  the  hall  carrying  in  her  hand  her 
cherished  Bible,  and  a  little  village  hymn-book,  as  she 
came  from  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  to  meet 
her  pupils. 

That  "  Good-morning,  young  ladies,"  which  always 
fell  from  her  lips  before  another  word  was  spoken, 
made  us  know  that  there  was  certainly  one  heart  on 
earth,  that  desired  a  good  morning  for  us  in  its  fullest 
sense.  And  it  was  good  to  be  there.  As  the  hymn 
was  given  out,  we  could  see  the  glance  of  an  eye  that 
would  know  if  we  had  all  remembered  our  hymn- 
books.  If  some  had  forgotten,  she  would  not  then 
speak  of  it,  but,  perhaps,  in  the  afternoon  exercise,  ask 
us  all  to  read  Deuteronomy,  and  note  the  words,  "  ob- 
serve," "  remember,"  "  take  heed,"  and  see  how  God 
regards  forgetfulness.  There  were  those  who  realized 
in  these  words,  for  the  first  time,  that  forgetfulness 


106  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

may  be  a  sin.  And  when  we  remembered  how  she 
had  wished  that  her  family,  like  the  great  family  in 
heaven,  might  all  praise  God  in  singing,  we  always 
desired  to  join  in  the  morning  hymn.  At  another 
time  she  would  say  :  "  Secular  music  gives  spirit  and 
zest.  We  should  thank  God  that  he  has  so  made  us 
that  we  can  enjoy  it.  It  is  wonderful  kindness.  Sing- 
ing exerts  a  mighty  moral  influence,  and,  young  ladies, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  if  you  cultivate  your  musical 
powers  here,  you  will  sing  and  enjoy  the  song  of 
Moses  and  the  Lamb  as  those  can  not  who  have  hidden 
their  talent." 

We  realized  that  no  other  than  her  own  Bible 
would  answer  her  purpose,  as  we  saw  her  follow  the 
little  path-finders  placed  in  hers,  and  which  enabled 
her  to  read  in  Exodus  and  then  in  Hebrews  with  so 
little  delay  that  we  hardly  knew  that  she  had  passed 
from  one  to  the  other.  She  often  said  to  us  :  "  Young 
ladies,  when  I  speak  to  you,  I  depend  much  more 
upon  the  inspiration  of  your  countenances  than  on  my 
preparation."  That  inspiration  was  fully  given  her  in 
those  exercises,  and  the  preparation  no  less  fully  made 
when  she  was  alone  with  her  God.  She  felt  the 
responsibility  of  no  labor  as  much  as  this.  What  she 
wrote  a  friend  a  few  weeks  before  her  death  expresses 
her  uniform  feeling :  "  I  want  to  ask  you  to  pray  for 
me  in  a  very  special  manner  about  one  thing.  It  is 


THE   FIRST   YEAR.  107 

for  divine  guidance  and  strength  in  giving  religious  in- 
struction. Pray  that  I  may  have  hid  in  my  own  heart 
all  that  I  attempt  to  say.  Pray  that  I  may  speak  the 
words  of  truth,  every  jot  atid  tittle,  —  that  which  God 
sees  and  knows  to  be  truth.  Pray  that  hearts  may 
receive  the  truth  in  honesty,  sincerity,  and  faith. 
Pray  that  in  these  seasons  God  may  be  magnified  and 
glorified."  At  another  time  she  said :  "  None  but 
God  knows  how  the  responsibility  of  giving  religious 
instruction  to  these  candidates  for  eternity  weighs  on 
my  heart.  Sometimes,  beforehand,  my  soul  is  weighed 
down  with  fear,  trembling,  and  anxious  solicitude, 
which  finds  no  relief  but  in  God.  When  I  have  fin- 
ished, and  God  has  given  me  some  enlargement  of 
heart,  I  am  overwhelmed  with  gratitude,  and  with  a 
view  of  my  unworthiness  for  such  a  blessing.  Then  I 
can  only  pour  out  my  heart  in  prayer  that  the  Spirit 
may  carry  truth  to  the  heart,  though  spoken  in  great 
weakness." 

The  giving  of  religious  instruction  included  not  only 
the  morning  exercises  of  three  days  in  the  week,  but 
also  the  weekly  meetings  for  Christians  and  the  impen- 
itent, all  of  which,  she  once  said,  "  lie  most  heavily 
upon  my  heart.  I  often  feel  that  I  have  used  for  you 
the  last  crumb  that  has  fallen  to  me  from  the  Master's 
table."  It  always  seemed  to  us  that  she  came  before 
us  with  very  choice  portions  from  his  table,  and  that 


108  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MAR  f  L  YON. 

one  tljus  furnished  might  be  willing  to  trust  to  the 
morrow  for  the  manna  of  the  morrow. 

The  house-keeping  department  of  the  new  seminary 
had  been  considered  a  great  objection  to  it  by  many. 
Miss  Lyon  labored  to  show  her  friends  that  she  did  not 
design  a  manual-labor  school  in  any  sense,  nor  a  school 
where  young  ladies  would  be  taught  domestic  duties ; 
but  rather  one  where  they  would  practice  what  they 
had  already  learned  from  their  mothers,  —  each  pupil 
taking  a  daughter's  part  in  the  household  duties,  to 
relieve  the  necessity  for  domestics,  and  thus  promote 
the  happiness  of  the  family.  She  told  her  first  pupils, 
as  she  did  all  later  ones,  that  they  had  not  come  to  the 
seminary  to  learn  domestic  work,  but  to  learn  how  to 
spend  time  profitably.  Miss  Lyon  gave  much  time  to 
this  department,  and  was  able  to  reduce  every  thing  to 
beautiful  order.  But  she  was  often  heard  to  say : 
"  This  department  is  too  complicated,  and  requires  too 
much  care  to  continue  it,  were  it  not  for  the  great  a(J_ 

*  O 

vantage  it  is  to  the  family.  If  dollars  and  cents  alone 
were  concerned,  we  would  drop  it  at  once.  Had  I 
fully  understood  how  complicated  its  working  must  be, 
perhaps  I  should  never  have  undertaken  it ;  but  a  kind 
Providence  hid  many  of  its  difficulties  from  me,  and  I 
can  see  so  much  in  it  that  is  for  the  comfort  of  our 
household,  and  favorable  to  the  young  ladies  individ- 

V  O 

ually,  that  I  am  willing  to  take  all  this  extra  care." 


THE  FIRST  YI:AR.  100 

This  care  devolved  mostly  upon  herself  for  years,  till 
she  saw  the  machinery  all  working  smoothly,  —  till  she 
had  carefully  adjusted  wheel  within  wheel,  and  made 
every  thing  to  move  with  the  least  possible  friction. 

Miss  Lyon's  own  words  will  give  us  some  of  the 
advantages  of  this  department  as  they  lay  in  her  own 
mind.  She  says :  "  All  are  to  take  part,  not  as  a  ser- 
vile Tabor,  for  which  they  are  to  receive  a  small  weekly 
remuneration,  but  as  a  gratuitous  service  to  the  insti- 
tution of  which  they  are  members,  designed  for  its 
improvement  and  elevation.  We  shall  thus  be  re- 
lieved of  dependence  on  private  families  in  the  neigh- 
borhood for  board ;  and  without  this  it  will  be  difficult, 
if  not  impossible,  to  secure  perpetual  prosperity.  We 
shall  also  be  relieved  from  a  depressing  dependence  on 
the  will  of  hired  domestics.  We  believe  that  the  health 
and  happiness  of  the  young  ladies  will  be  promoted  by 
this  daily  exercise,  and  their  interest  in  domestic  duties 
preserved.  While  no  one  receives  reward  for  her  ser- 
vices, no  one  will  be  able  with  her  money  to  deprive 
herself  of  the  privilege  of  sharing  in  the  freedom, 
simplicity,  and  independence  of  her  home.  The  insti- 
tution will  not  teach  domestic  duties.  This  inestimable 
privilege  will  still  be  left  to  the  mother.  We  can  only 
seek  to  preserve  the  good  habits  already  acquired,  and 
to  make  a  favorable  impression  with  regard  to  the 
10 


HO  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYO.V. 

value  of  system,  promptness,  and  fidelity  in  this  branch 
of  woman's  duties. 

"  An  obliging  disposition  is  of  special  importance 
in  forming  a  lovely,  social,  and  domestic  character4. 
Young  ladies  at  school,  with  all  the  conveniences  and 

O  ' 

comforts  which  they  should  have,  and  with  all  the 
benefits  of  system  which  they  should  enjoy,  can  have 
but  little  opportunity  for  self-denial.  This  little  should 
be  used  to  the  best  advantage.  To  bring  every  such 
opportunity  to  bear  on  the  character  is  a  leading  object 
in  the  arrangements  of  the  family.  The  domestic 
work  done  by  the  young  ladies,  in  the  varied  and 
mutual  duties  of  the  day,  furnishes  many  little  opportu- 
nities for  the  manifestation  of  a  generous,  obliging,  and 
self-denying  spirit,  the  influence  of  which  we  trust  will 
be  felt  through  life. 

"  It  also  helps  to  give  a  spirit  of  gratitude  and  a 
sense  of  obligation.  Domestic  life  is  little  else  but  a 
continued  scene  of  conferring  and  receiving  favors. 
And  how  much  of  happiness  depends  on  their  being 
conferred  with  the  manifest  evidence  of  a  willing  heart, 
and  on  their  being  received  with  suitable  tokens  of 
gratitude !  These  two  lovely  traits  go  hand  in  hand, 
not  often  to  be  separated.  The  formation  of  a  charac- 
ter that  can  be  grateful  is  an  object  of  special  impor- 
tance in  a  lady's  education.  Parents  should  seek  to 
give  their  daughters  privileges,  and  especially  the  means 


THE   FIRST    YKAR.  Ill 

of  an  education,  in  a  manner  suited  to  lead  them  to 
realize  that  they  are  favors  for  which  gratitude  is  due." 

With  such  a  view  as  has  here  been  given  of  the 
importance  of  this  department  in  Miss  Lyon's  estima- 
tion, it  is  no  wonder  that  she  could  give  heart  and 
hand  to  cariying  it  forward.  It  was  her  greatest  desire 
to  have  all  find  a  happy  home  with  her,  —  "  one,"  as 
she  often  said,  "  something  like  the  home  above." 

The  pupils  of  that  first  year,  most  of  whom  were 
Christians,  felt  that  this  desire  was  realized.  They 
saw  "  holiness "  written  not  only  on  those  walls,  but 
upon  every  article  within.  They  felt  that  they  were 
not  their  own,  and  each  moment  was  to  them  of  more 
value  than  gold.  We  have  seen  that  Miss  Lyon's 
heart  and  hands  were  full.  Mrs.  Cowles  says :  "  In 
all  that  year,  she  had  never  found  an  hour  to  spend  in 
astonishment  at  her  success  and  position."  But  when 
the  duties  of  the  year  were  all  done,  and  she  found 
herself  on  anniversary  day  in  the  crowded  village 
church,  surrounded  by  friends,  the  trustees  of  Mount 
Holyoke  Seminary  before  her,  her  teachers  at  her  side, 
and  her  pupils  in  the  rear,  the  circumstances  forced  the 
view  upon  her,  and  wonder,  gratitude,  and  praise  filled 
her  heart  with  a  flood  of  emotions  such  as  ordinary 
minds  can  not  conceive.  Her  great  soul  was  sur- 
charged with  pent-up  joy.  Smiles  and  tears  strove  for 
the  mastery  on  her  radiant  face.  She  retired  within 


112  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

herself,  gave  way  to  a  joy  with  which  no  one  could  in- 
termeddle, and  for  an  hour  resigned  herself  to  the 
emotions  of  the  occasion.  None  but  her  God  knew 
through  what  she  had  passed  to  reach  that  hour,  and 
he  only  knew  how  sincerely  she  then  and  there  said, 
"  This  is  not  mine,  but  thine."  With  a  Father's  love, 
he  directed  all  the  exercises  of  that  day  to  meet  her 
feelings.  The  morning  rose  beautiful.  The  trustees 
and  Dr.  Hawres  decided  that  the  exercises  —  that  is  the 
address,  and  the  giving  of  certificates  to  the  senior 
class  of  three,  —  should  be  in  the  church.  She  had 
shrunk  from  so  much  publicity,  but  when  they  said  to 
her,  "  We  think  it  is  best,"  she  was  satisfied.  Dr. 
Hawes'  address  was  all  she  could  desire.  Mr.  Condit, 
the  pastor  of  the  church  in  South  Hadley,  and  secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  presented  the  certificates 
and  gave  farewell  words  in  "  his  own  happy  manner," 
just  as  he  continued  to  give  them  for  ten  years  to  suc- 
ceeding classes. 

One,  who  has  often  been  present  on  anniversary 
occasions  at  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary,  has  said : 
"  Miss  Lyon  never  appeared  better  than  on  such  days. 
Kindness,  gentleness,  ease,  and  dignity  of  manner  were 
always  very  marked.  She  was  never  disconcerted, 
never  in  a  hurry,  and  always  seemed  to  have  time  to 
see  every  one,  and  to  give  appropriate  attention  to  all 
that  was  laid  upon  her.  There  was  at  such  times 


THE  FIRST    YEAR.  113 

scope  for  all  her  powers.  They  were  brought  into 
action,  and,  as  I  have  seen  her  preside  on  such  occa- 
sions, I  have  felt  that  I  was  permitted  to  behold  the 
highest  style  of  woman  performing  her  duties  in  a 
manner  which  reflected  great  honor  upon  her  sex." 
Such  was  her  appearance  on  that  first  anniversary 
day,  while,  with  a  full  heart,  she  wrote  "  Immanuel " 
on  each  passing  event. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Cjjirfr, 


SECOND  TEAR,  1838  —  MARRIAGE  OF  MISS  CALDWELL  —  REVIVAL  OF 
THAT  YEAR  —  TUIHD  YEAR,  1839  —  THE  REVIVAL  —  DEATH  OF  A 
PUPIL  —  FOURTH  YEAR,  1840  —  EPIDEMIC  SICKNESS  AMONG  THE 
PUPILS  —  THE  REVIVAL  —  FIRST  MEETING  WITH  PUPILS. 


ri^HE  second  year  of  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary,  one 
JL  hundred  were  admitted,  while,  to  about  four  hun- 
dred, Miss  Lyon  was  obliged  to  say :  "  There  is  no 
more  room."  Miss  Caldwell,  the  Associate  Principal, 
left  the  institution  at  the  close  of  the  first  year,  and 
married  Rev.  J.  P.  Cowles.  Miss  Lyon  felt  the  loss 
most  deeply ;  but  she  gave  her  friend  a  farewell,  just 
as  she  did  others  in  later  years,  with  tears  and  smiles, 
saying :  "  We  should  be  happy  to  have  you  with  us 
longer,  but  we  will  be  thankful  that  you  have  been 
able  to  do  so  much  for  us ;  God  bless  you."  Miss 
Lyon  was  often  called  upon  to  give  up  teachers  to 
whom  her  heart  clung  with  an  elder  sister's  love,  and 
whom  she  considered  almost  indispensable  to  the  sem- 
inary ;  but,  while  she  said,  "  Of  all  the  changes  that 
take  place,  the  changing  of  fellow-laborers,  of  fellow- 
travelers  through  this  pilgrimage  is  the  most  painful," 

(114) 


$t:coyr>,  THIRD,  Axn  FOURTH  V/ARS.        115 

it  was  never  with  a  murmur,  and  the  departing  one  felt 
as  she  had  not  done  before,  that  she  lived,  and  should 
ever  live  in  Miss  Lyon's  love. 

Miss  Whitman,  for  many  years  associated  with 
Miss  Lyon,  and  at  this  time  a  pupil  in  the  seminary, 
thus  describes  the  blessing  of  that  year  :  "  The  second 
year  the  number  regarding  themselves  as  unconverted 
was  about  thirty.  During  that  year  God  manifested 
his  acceptance  of  the  consecrated  institution,  not  by  a 
visible  cloud,  but  by  a  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  work  was  very  rapid  and  advanced  with  great 
power.  It  occurred  in  connection  with  the  fast  for 
literary  institutions.  The  whole  school  bowed  beneath 
its  influence.  The  breathings  of  the  Spirit  were  felt 
in  every  heart.  The  lukewarm  professor  and  the 
openly  irreligious  alike  trembled  for  their  personal 
safety.  The  light  footstep,  the  hushed  voice,  and  the 
solemn  countenance  indicated  the  thoughts  of  all  hearts. 
Many  a  slumbering  professor  awoke  to  newness  of  life. 

"  During  the  three  days  succeeding  the  last  Thursday 
in  February,  which  had  been  sacredly  observed  by  the 
teachers  and  scholars  as  a  season  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
about  one  half  of  the  impenitent  indulged  the  hope  of 
having  passed  from  death  unto  life.  Saturday  of  the 
same  week  was  a  day  of  recreation.  In  the  afternoon 
nearly  the  whole  school  came  together,  filling  to  its 
utmost  capacity  the  reading-room  where  the  meet- 


llij  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY    LYON. 

ing  was  held.  After  continuous  prayer  for  an  hour, 
the  meeting  was  appropriately  closed  by  one  of  the 
teachers.  No  one  rose  to  leave  the  room.  The  feel- 
ing pervaded  the  circle  that  prayer  must  be  continued 
until  every  soul  was  converted.  Another  prayer  was 
then  offered,  after  which  the  same  teacher  proposed 
that  all  should  retire  to  their  rooms  for  half  an  hour, 
and  then  those  who  desired  should  meet  again  in  the 
same  place.  At  the  end  of  the  half  hour  the  bur- 
dened souls  came  together  to  plead  once  more  for  their 
companions  who  were  still  out  of  Christ.  But  one 
that  year  remained  destitute,  of  the  Christian  hope. 
Many  were  the  prayers  offered  for  that  halting  one, 
and  in  after  years  it  was  found  that  praying  breath 
had  not  been  spent  in  vain.  She  has  since  died  in 
peaceful  hope  of  divine  acceptance,  referring  its  origin 
to  that  second  year  of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary. 

"  Thus  did  the  young  seminary  receive  its  baptism 
of  the  Spirit.  Thus  did  God  accept  as  his  own  the 
institution  which  had  been  privately  and  publicly 
consecrated  to  him  by  donors,  the  trustees,  and  most 
of  all  by  her,  who,  standing  at  its  head,  was  often 
heard  earnestly  pleading  that  not  one  of  all  who  should 
enjoy  its  privileges  down  to  the  millennial  day,  should 
fail  of  eternal  life."  Miss  Whitman  has  well  added : 
"  The  effects  of  such  a  work  were  felt  for  several  suc- 
cessive years." 


SECOND,    THIRD,  AND    FOURTH   YKARS.  117 

Not  only  Miss  Lyon,  but  many  others,  had  at  that 
time,  as  she  expressed  it,  "  a  very  deep  sympathy  with 
others  as  saved  or  lost."  She  added  :  "  We  are  so 
constituted,  that  we  can  not  in  this  world  sustain  a 
great  depth  of  feeling  continually  ;  this  is  reserved  for 
another  world.  But  we  should  feel  deeply  at  times. 
It  has  an  influence  upon  our  after  lives."  Perhaps 
this  was  never  more  true  of  any  season  than  of  the 
one  just  described.  Its  most  thrilling  scenes  were 
hardly  passed,  when  death  entered  the  seminary  for 
the  first  time ;  but  it  was  to  bear  a  child  to  her  heav- 
enly home,  and  to  lead  Miss  Lyon  to  pray,  more  ear- 
nestly than  ever  before,  that  in  all  her  efforts  she 
might  be  preparing  souls  for  heaven. 

The  third  year  opened  as  the  preceding,  with  the 
house  filled,  and  hundreds  unable  to  gain  admittance. 
The  trustees,  at  Miss  Lyon's  earnest  solicitation,  were 
now  beginning  to  plan  for  enlarging  the  building. 
While  she  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  have  this  done, 
she  was  no  less  anxious  lest,  becoming  engrossed  by*it, 
she  should  lose  a  spiritual  blessing.  Her  Father  saw 
her  desire  that  he  should  be  honored,  and  led  her 
very  gently,  till  her  entire,  school  were  indulging  the 
Christian  hope.  Thirty  expressed  that  hope  for  the 
first  time.  Miss  Whitman  says  of  that  year :  "  The 
work  was  gradual  and  there  was  a  continued  interest 
from  the  first  week  of  the  school  till  its  close.  The 


118  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

presence  of  the  Spirit  was  manifested  from  the  first  by 
attention  to  instruction,  the  tearful  eye,  and  exhibi- 
tion of  tenderness  of  feeling,  whenever  the  subject  of 
personal  religion  was  introduced." 

One,  who  was  then  a  pupil,  thus  describes  the  be- 
ginning of  this  work  of  grace :  "  It  was  our  third 
Saturday  evening  in  the  seminary.  The  day  had 
been  one  of  recreation,  and  we  had  enjoyed  just  what 
Miss  Lyon  had  always  said  she  wished  us  to  enjoy, 
'  lively,  pleasurable,  social  intercourse.'  As  we  gath- 
ered around  the  tables  for  our  evening  meal,-  there  was 
one  table  where  she  saw  unbecoming  mirth  ;  there  was 
even  frivolity,  and  most  of  those  at  that  table  were 
professing  Christians.  As  we  sat  back  for  our  evening 
devotions,  Miss  Lyon  rose,  and  said  in  a  manner  that 
made  us  feel  that  it  is  a  fearful  thing  for  a  Christian  to 
grieve  the  Spirit  of  God :  *  I  have  thought  that  per- 
haps some  of  God's  dear  children  here  do  not  know 
that  his  Spirit  is  striving  with  some  souls  in  our  family. 
There  are  those  who  long  to  find  a  Saviour  before  this 
Sabbath  has  passed.  Would  you  not  like  to  pray  for 
them  ?  '  Not  another  word  was  spoken.  Careless 
Christians  felt  that  they  were  on  holy  ground,  and 
more  than  one  of  the  impenitent  buried  her  face  to 
weep,  finding  her  half-formed  purpose  to  seek  the  Lord 
strengthened.  As  we  passed  out,  a  stranger  threw  her 
arm  around  me,  saying :  '  You  do  not  know  me,  but  I 


SECOND,    THIRD,  AND    FOURTH    YEARS.  119 

thought  perhaps  you  would  pray  for  me,  that  I  may 
find  Christ  this  Sabbath-day.'  I  had  been  reproved 
liy  Miss  Lyon's  words,  and  now  my  God  brought  still 
another  reproof.  I  sought  my  closet  to  weep,  and  to 
feel  that,  if  a  child  of  God,  I  must  be  ready  always  to 
pray  and  to  labor  for  souls." 

Many  Christians  left  that  room  with  similar  feelings, 
and  those  few  words  of  Miss  Lyon  seemed  given  to 
guide  them  all  the  year,  and  we  know  that  they  have  led 
many  to  watcli  carefully  all  their  lives,  lest  by  any  means 
they  grieve  the  Spirit  of  God  from  an  inquiring  soul. 

From  the  very  commencement  of  this  term,  it  was 
noticed  that  Miss  Lyon  often  prayed  that  God  would 
especially  prepare  for  heaven  any  whom  he  was  about 
to  take  to  himself.  There  was  an  earnestness  in  these 
petitions  that  we  can  not  describe.  It  sometimes 
seemed  as  if  it  must  be  that  she  saw  heaven's  gates 
opening  to  receive  her  dear  pupils,  and  that  thus  she 
was  moved  to  ask  for  them  this  abundant  entrance  into 
the  world  of  light  and  love.  A  few  weeks  passed,  and, 
as  she  had  seemed  to  expect,  the  Saviour  came  to  take 
one  of  his  own  to  himself.  The  heart  that  had 
prayed  so  earnestly  was  now  in  tenderest  sympathy 
with  the  departing  one.  She  watched  the  progress  of 
a  slow  fever  for  weeks,  expecting  that  her  pupil  would 
recover  ;  but  saw,  at  length,  that  this  sickness  was  unto 
death.  The  dying  one  feared  no  evil  in  going  through 


120  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYUX. 

the  appointed  valley,  and  it  was  Miss  Lyon's  blessed 
privilege  to  come  and  place  a  rod  and  a  staff  in  her 
hand  for  the  passage.  It  was  the  midnight  hour  of 
the  Sabbath  when  the  attendants  first  realized  that 
Jesus  had  indeed  come  for  their  sister. 

One  who  was  present  says  :  "  Miss  Lyon  asked  me 
to  go  for  her  at  any  hour  when  there  should  be  a 
change  that  indicated  Miss  H.'s  speedy  departure. 
Wearied  and  worn  as  she  was,  I  disliked  to  call  her ; 
but  this  hesitation  was  removed  as  I  heard  her  say : 
'  When  Jesus  comes  for  one  of  my  dear  children,  I 
want  to  go  with  her  just  as  far  as  I  can.  I  do  not  ex- 
pect to  pass  over  with  our  dear  friend  at  this  time,  but 
may  be  the  Lord  will  give  me  a  word  wherewith  to 
comfort  her,  and  may  be,  as  I  see  heaven  open,  I  shall 
get  a  new  view  of  its  blessedness,  to  give  to  those  who 
remain.'  As  I  awaked  Miss  Lyon  from  sleep,  she 
said  :  '  Do  you  think  the  Saviour  has  really  come  for 
Adaline  ? '  She  was  by  her  side  in  a  few  minutes  to 
realize  that  it  was  even  so.  The  dying  one  could  not 
speak,  but  her  eye  kindled  with  a  brightness  hardly  of 
earth  when  she  saw  her  teacher  approaching.  Miss 
Lyon  knelt  at  once  by  her  side,  and,  taking  her  hand 
in  hers,  said,  in  the  gentlest  manner :  *  Jesus  has  come 
for  you,  Adaline.  Now  you  will  not  be  afraid,  —  will 
you?  He  will  carry  you  safely  .over.  You  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  look  directly  to  him.  You  will 


SECOND.    THIRD,    A\D    FOUltTIl    YEARS.  121 

suffer  only  a  little  while  longer.'  Then  she  prayed 
in  words  as  simple  as  she  had  spoken.  The  dying  one 
could  not  tell  us  that  she  was  comforted,  but  we  knew 
it,  for  her  eye  would  rest  one  moment  on  Miss  Lyon, 
and  then,  with  a  smile,  it  would  be  turned  upward  to 
see  the  Saviour  to  whom  she  had  been  pointed.  More 
than  twenty  years  have  passed  since  that  sad  Novem- 
ber night,  during  all  of  which  I  have  thanked  my  God 
for  the  lesson  I  there  learned,  of  speaking  only  of 
Jesus  to  those  for  whom  he  is  waiting.  In  this  case 
the  groans  and  dying  strife  were  continued  long  after 
the  eye  closed  upon  us,  and  when  it  seemed  to  us  that 
the  ear  could  no  longer  hear  the  name  she  had  delighted 
to  have  whispered  to  her. 

"  It  was  not  till  sunset  on  Monday  that  there  was  the 
calm  which  death  brings.  There  had  been  such  in- 
tense sympathy  with  the  sufferer  that  many  of  the 
family  were  unfitted  for  attention  to  their  ordinary 
duties.  Those  who  had  heard  the  departing  sighs,  and 
realized  the  pain  and  not  the  bliss  of  dying,  were  sad, 
and  longed  to  pillow  their  aching  heads  upon  a  moth- 
er's bosom.  Miss  Lyon  saw  how  we  felt,  and  with 
more  than  a  mother's  love  she  gathered  us  around 
her  to  point  beyond.  She  told  us  what  joy  seemed  to 
fill  our  sister's  heart,  as  she  was  directed  to  Jesus,  and 
added :  '  Why  should  she  not  have  rejoiced  ?  To  be 
sure  there  was  suffering  for  a  little  season,  but  I  felt 
11 


122  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYOX. 

that  she  saw  Christ  during  all  the  time  that  the  finish- 

O 

ing  process  of  taking  down  the  tabernacle  was  going 
on.  We,  who  stood  by,  could  almost  see  him,  and 
we  too  did  groan  earnestly,  desiring  to  be  clothed  upon 
from  heaven.  My  own  heart  was  so  filled  with 
thoughts  of  the  blessedness  of  the  departing  soul,  that 
I  could  think  of  nothing  else.  That  room  where  our 
dear  Adaline  left  her  body,  to  see  Jesus  as  he  is,  is  a 
very  precious  spot  to  me.  I  should  love  to  go  and  stay 
there  for  a  season,^ yes,  there  where  heaven  was 
opened  to  receive  one  of  our  number.  Jesus  has  hon- 
ored it,  for  he  came  there,  just  as  he  said  he  would,  to 
receive  one  of  his  dear  children  to  himself.  I  did  not 
say  good-by  to  Adaline  when  I  saw  her  eye  closing  in 
death,  for  I  am  confident  that  I  shall  see  her  again 
soon.  What  glories  burst  upon  her  view  in  that  room  ! 
It  can  never  be  to  us  like  other  rooms,  and  who  of  you 
would  like  now  to  go  in  there,  and  abide  with  Christ 
the  remainder  of  this  year?  We  will  all  thank  God 
that  he  did  not  call  for  one  of  you  who  had  no  Saviour 
to  come  for  her,  and  to  whom  we  must  have  said  good- 
by,  and  that  for  ever.  I  could  not  then  have  sat  here 
this  morning  to  speak  of  the  state  of  such  an  one.  My 
whole  soul  would  have  shrunk  from  it.  Now  I  should 
"  like  to  talk  to  you  all  day  of  the  state  of  those  who 
have  laid  aside  their  earthly  tabernacles  and  have  gone 
to  be  with  their  Lord.' 


SKCUND,    THIRD,  AND    FOURTH    YEARS.  123 

u  As  we  heard  Miss  Lyon  speak  of  our  dear  friend  in 
heaven,  and  of  the  '  blessed  room '  where  she  took  the 
hand  of  Jesus,  so  much  gentler  than  that  even  of 
father,  mother,  brother,  or  sister,  we  were  comforted. 
We  passed  up  from  the  seminary  hall  to  the  room, 
glad  to  make  it  ours,  and  it  became  the  place  of  a  daily 
prayer-meeting  during  all  that  year." 

It  was  a  special  comfort  to  Miss  Lyon,  at  the  close 
of  this  school  year,  that  she  could  look  upon  all  her 
family  as  Christ's.  She  felt  that  much  had  been  at- 
tained in  thoroughness,  and  she  was  looking  forward  to 
another  year  with  fond  hopes  of  rich  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral blessing.  But  at  this  point,  to  use  her  own 
words  :  "  God  saw  that  great  trials  must  be  set  over 
against  great  prosperity."  The  anniversary  season  of 
1840  had  just  passed,  and  the  pupils  were  mostly  in 
their  homes,  when  one  after  another  fell  sick  of  typhus 
fever,  till  forty  cases  were  heard  of,  and  nine  were 
called  to  their  heavenly  home.  Miss  Lyon  had  prayed 
much  that  all  who  were  to  go  might  be  prepared  for 
the  change,  and  it  was  not  surprising  that  dying  grace 
was  wonderfully  given  to  dying  ones.  "  O  death, 
where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  " 
was  the  song  of  triumph  that  was  heard  from  each,  as 
she  turned  away  from  earth  to  realize  that  God  giveth 
the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

During  the  year  now  closed  it  had  been  customary 


124  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

for  Christians  in  the  seminary  to  meet  together  in 
small  circles  for  prayer  at  sunset  on  Sabbath  evening. 
Those  were  very  precious  seasons,  where  hearts  were 
made  one  in  Jesus ;  and,  as  they  met  on  the  last  Sab- 
bath evening  of  the  year,  there  was  given  on  the  part 
of  all  the  members  of  our  circle,  a  pledge  of  remem- 
brance at  the  same  hour,  when  they  should  be  sepa- 
rated. Three  weeks  passed,  and  that  Sabbath  houi 
found  most  of  the  little  circle  on  beds  of  sickness,  but 
all  remembered  that  it  was  the  hour  of  prayer.  One, 
on  whom  heaven  was  opening,  prayed  for  the  others, 
and  then  said :  "  Mother,  they  will  pray  for  me  now. 
They  will  not  know  that  I  am  dying,  but  I  am  so 
happy  to  think  they  will  pray  for  me."  Another,  as 
she  asked  the  hour,  said  :  "  I  should  be  glad  to  go 
while  they  are  praying  for  me  ; "  while  a  third  said  to 
weeping  friends  around  her :  "  There  will  come  peace, 
for  they  are  praying  God  to  bless  me."  One  was 
released  from  earth  at  that  hour  of  prayer,  and  others 
gathered  strength  to  soon  follow,  while  the  Lord  said 
to  some  longing  to  depart :  "  Ye  can  not  come  to  me, 
now,  but  grace  shall  be  given  you  to  meet  the  ills  of 
life,  as  you  go  back  from  this  view  of  your  final  rest." 
There  was  fullness  of  joy  in  Christ  bestowed  upon 
all  who  then  died  ;  and  to  those  who  came  back  to 
earth  there  was  given  an  experience  of  his  preciousness 
and  of  trust  in  him  that  they  had  not  known  before. 


THIRD,    AND    FOURTH   \1..\RS.  125 

But,  while  the  departing  ones  rejoiced,  all  the  "  waves 
and  billows  "  seemed  to  be  rolling  over  Miss  Lyon. 
In  writing  a  friend  soon  after,  she  says :  "  The  hand 
of  God  has  been  laid  heavily  upon  me.  I  have  been 
led  through  deep  waters  ;  but  they  have  not  overflowed 
me.  His  good  hand  has  been  ever  my  support.  None 
but  my  heavenly  Father  knows  how  great  a  trial  this 
has  been  to  my  heart.  While  others  have  been  inquir- 
ing about  the  natural  cause,  I  have  felt  that  we,  who 
were  most  nearly  connected,  ought  particularly  to  in- 
quire about  the  moral  cause,  and  to  seek  to  know  what 
the  Lord  would  have  us  learii  from  his  dealings  with 
us."  Miss  Lyon  was  always  as  ready  to  learn  as  a 
child  ;  and  now  she  sought  very  carefully  to  know  if 
her  Father  would  have  her  change  any  thing  in  the  ar- 
rangements for  her  great  family.  After  much  prayer 
and  consultation  with  friends,  some  changes  were  made. 
And  while  the  great  plans  went  on  as  usual,  she  said  : 
"  If  our  feelings  are  grieved  by  what  is  reported  of 
us,  let  us  remember  the  example  of  our  Saviour.  He 
was  silent.  He  opened  not  his  mouth.  Let  God,  in 
his  own  way  and  in  his  own  time,  vindicate  his  own 
acts.  Let  us  commit  ourselves  to  the  care  of  a  cove-  y 
nant-keeping  God,  who  doeth  all  things  well." 

When  the  school  assembled  on  the  last  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1840,  hardly  half  of  those  expected  had  re- 
turned.    Several  had  gone  to  be  with  God,  and  others 
11  * 


12b'  RECOLLECTIONS   Of-'  MAR  ¥  LYON. 

were  detained  by  sickness.  Yet  the  house  was  filled  > 
for  there  were  many  ready  to  take  the  places  of  those 
who  had  failed.  Miss  Lyon  said  of  her  trial :  "  The 
dealings  of  Providence  have  been  such  toward  me  as 
to  lead  me  to  think  most  tenderly  of  all  my  friends." 
And  her  reception  of  her  pupils  was  now  peculiarly 
tender.  She  was  bome  down  with  deep  sorrow ;  but 
she  met  them  cheerfully,  and  gave  herself  most  unre- 
servedly to  labor,  till  her  failing  strength  took  her  from 
them.  We  have  before  us  the  note-book  of  a  pupil 
who  entered  the  seminary  on  that  day,  a  stranger, 
which  shows  how  the  new  scholars  were  impressed 
with  her  appearance.  The  note-book  says :  "  The 
young  ladies,  eighty  in  number,  met  in  the  seminary 
hall  at  nine  o'clock.  Miss  Lyon  read  a  Psalm,  and 
led  in  a  prayer,  which  was  very  comprehensive  and 
affecting.  The  burden  of  her  petition  was  that,  if 
any  one  present  had  never  given  herself  to  Christ,  she 
might  now  be  led  to  do  so,  even  before  she  entered 
upon  her  studies ;  that  the  blessings  of  life  and  health 
might  crown  the  year,  if  consistent  with  our  heavenly 
Father's  will ;  but  if  any  were  to  be  removed  by 
death,  that  they  might  here  ripen  for  heaven." 

It  pleased  the  Lord  to  grant  life  and  health  this 
year,  and  another  blessed  outpouring  of  the  Spirit. 
There  was  a  hopeful  conversion  the  very  first  week  of 
the  year ;  and  the  work  went  on,  till,  of  the  thirty 


SECOND,    THIRD,    A.VD   FOURTH   YEARS.  127 

who  entered  the  school,  not  Christians,  Miss  Lyon 
could  write :  "  All  but  four  now  express  some  hope 
that  they  love  Christ." 

In  the  midst  of  her  sore  trial,  her  thoughts  turned 
more  to  the  goodness  of  God  than  to  any  other  theme  ; 
and  she  gave  this  subject  for  the  Bible  lesson  of  the 
first  Sabbath  of  the  term.  A  pupil,  who,  from  her 
first  meeting  Miss  Lyon,  seemed  to  be  in  full  sympathy 
with  her,  wrote  of  that  day  :  u  The  sun  rose  in  bright- 
ness, as  if  God,  in  his  goodness,  had  chosen  that  the 
first  pleasant  day  of  our  residence  here  should  be  the 
Sabbath,  that  our  associations  with  the  day  should  be 
pleasant."  The  Bible  lesson  had  been  given  out  on 
Saturday ;  and  as  Miss  Lyon  alluded  to  it  at  the 
breakfast-table  the  next  morning,  when  her  pupils 
were  seated  for  devotions,  she  said :  kt  Now  we  hope  to 
spend  forty  Sabbaths  together  ;  and  will  not  those  who 
fear  the  Lord  speak  often  one  to  another  ?  Then  will 
he  write  for  us  a  book  of  precious  remembrance  ;  for 
he  has  said  he  will  do  it.  We  expect  to  pray  together 
here  forty  Sabbath  mornings.  Then  we  shall  separate, 
never  all  to  meet  a^ain  in  this  world  :  and  we  have 

O  •* 

some  dear  ones,  who  have  no  hope  of  meeting  us  beyond 
this  life.  May  not  such  a  hope  be  given  to  some  of 
them  this  first  Sabbath  morning  ?  "  This  bringing 
home  of  the  subject  of  being  a  Christian  on  that 
morning,  when  so  many  were  strangers,  and  when  her 


12S  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

own  heart  was  so  tender,  deeply  affected  many.  They 
could  not  e'asily  lose  the  impression  ;  and,  when,  in 
the  afternoon,  they  came  together,  and  she  pointed 
them  to  the  heaven  where  nine  pupils  had  just  entered, 
most  of  whom  she  had  expected  would  sit  there  on 
that  Sabbath,  their  hearts  were  more  deeply  moved. 
She  spoke  of  heaven  as  no  strange  place.  She  said  : 
"  We  can  know  much  of  heaven.  If  we  have  ever 
had  feelings  which  we  believe  to  be  in  unison  with  our 
heavenly  Father's  will,  we  then  know  something  of 
the  feelings  enjoyed  there." 

There  was  something  in  Miss  Lyon's  first  meeting 
with  her  pupils,  that  can  not  be  described.  We  forgot 
the  teacher,  for  we  seemed  only  to  see  the  mother,  the 
friend,  the  Christian  friend,  one  in  whom  our  hearts 
could  trust.  Her  interest  in  our  parents  and  friends 
gave  us  a  confidence  in  her,  and  then  that  cheerful 
countenance  seemed  to  tell  of  a  heart  that  could  em- 
brace us  all.  On  the  note-book  of  one  pupil  we  find 
this  record  of  remarks  on  the  first  morning  of  the 
school  year,  and  many  can  recall  words  kindred  to 
these  :  "  There  is  always  a  peculiar  interest  in  meet- 
ing our  dear  family  at  the  commencement  of  the 
school  year.  We  remember  those  dear  familiar  faces 
with  us  last  year,  which  we  shall  see  here  no  more. 
We  thank  our  God  for  the  precious  privilege,  which 
was  ours,  of  laboring  for  those  daughters.  We  follow 


SECOND,    THIRD,    AND   FOURTH    YEARS.  129 

them  with  our  love,  we  will  remember  them  around 
this  family  altar.  We  welcome  old  friends  returning 
home  with  smiling  countenances,  and  we  also  welcome 
these  strangers.  They  will  not  long  be  strangers. 
Some  of  you  are  the  daughters  of  those  I  tenderly 
love,  and  we  are  ready  to  give  our  love  and  sympathy 
to  you  all.  My  heart  goes  out  very  tenderly  this 
morning  to  those  parents  who  have  intrusted  you  to 
my  care.  Those  fathers  and  mothers  have  no  choicer 
treasures  than  these  precious  daughters.  We  are 
ready  to  labor  for  you  in  love  and  fidelity,  and  may 
you  all  be  faithful  to  us.  And  oh,  what  inexpressible 
tenderness  in  the  thought,  that  you  may  all  be  prepar- 
ing for  heaven  here !  " 

Another  note-book  records  another  year.  "  As 
Miss  Lyon  met  us  in  the  hall  this  first  morning,  she 
said :  I  shall  not  read  a  chapter  from  the  Bible,  but 
only  a  single  verse,  '  In  every  thing,  by  prayer  and 
supplication  with  thanksgiving,  let  your  request  be 
made  known  unto  God.'  I  could  think  of  no  other 
text  as  my  thoughts  turned  to  you.  This  is  what  I 
want  you  all  to  do  every  day  this  year.  Carry  every 
tiling  to  God.  There  is  nothing  too  small  for  his 
notice.  When  he  says  every  thing,  he  means  just 
what  he  says.  Those  who  are  Christians  can  do  it, 
and  those  who  are  not  may  begin  to  do  it  to-day. 
Do  not  be  afraid  to  do  it  because  you  know  you  are 


130  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

not  a  Christian.  Does  the  heart  of  one  such  go  out 
tenderly  this  morning  to  the  friends  she  has  left  ? 
Does  any  one  feel  anxious  in  reference  to  her  examina- 
tions ?  Carry  all  to  your  heavenly  Father.  You 
may  thus  get  an  acquaintance  with  him  that  will 
make  you  long  to  say  with  a  whole  heart,  my  Fa- 
ther." 


CHAPTER    X. 

,  Cjnrtr,  attb  Jf0uri|r  JTears,  Continued, 


INFLUENCE  OF  TRIALS  ON  MISS  LYON  —  SPECIMENS  OF  MORNING  RELIG- 
IOUS EXERCISES  —  DEATH  OF  HER  MOTHEK  —  HER  SYMPATHY  WITH 
THK  BEREAVED  —  SPECIMENS  OF  AFTERNOON  RELIGIOUS  EXERCISES  — 
HAD  THE  CONFIDENCE  OF  HER  PUPILS  —  ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS  BT 
PROF.  EDWARDS. 

TIlHE  trials  of  the  autumn  of  1840,  made  Miss  Lyon, 
JL  if  possible,  love  the  seminary  more  than  ever  before. 
She  felt  that  she  had  been  sorely  chastised,  but  she 
wanted  to  know  the  lesson  her  Father  would  teach 
her,  and  she  desired  her  pupils  to  learn  the  same.  At 
the  first  meeting  for  Christians,  she  dwelt  with  peculiar 
interest  upon  their  obligations  to  the  benevolent  foun- 
ders of  the  institution.  She  had  previously  said  :  "  On 
entering  the  seminary,  young  ladies  can  scarcely  avoid 
feeling  that  they  are  sharing  the  fruits  of  benevo- 
lent efforts,  and  that  they  are  enjoying  privileges  which 
fhey  can  not  purchase  ;  that  they  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude 
to  the  founders  which  gold  and  silver  can  never  cancel, 
and  which  can  be  met  only  by  a  useful  Christian  life." 
She  pressed  this  home  more  earnestly  than  ever, 


132  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY   LYOX. 

during  this  year,  and  especially  at  this  meeting.  After 
presenting  other  motives  for  faithfulness,  she  added  : 
"  This  institution  has  been  blessed  of  God,  because  it 
is  his.  It  has  been,  given  to  him  ;  let  us  have  no  part 
in  taking  it  back.  And  now  there  are  those  here 
who  have  come  to  this  place  with  the  hope  of  finding 
the  Saviour.  Shall  we  help  them  to  do  it  ?  "  There 
were  Christian  pupils  this  year,  who  labored  diligently 
for  souls,  and  who  cared  most  faithfully  for  the  young 
Christians  as  they  were  brought  into  the  fold.  We 
can  understand  Miss  Lyon's  confidence  in  them,  as  we 
find  her  saying  to  them,  May  19th :  "  It  is  a  solemn 
thought  that  all  that  most  of  us  do  for  the  four  still 
impenitent  in  our  family  will  be  done  in  a  few  short 
weeks."  Specimens  of  the  morning  exercises  of  this 
year  are  given  in  the  Appendix. 

We  have  brief  notes,  also,  of  some  others  of  these 
morning  exercises.  At  one  time  we  find  her  taking 
the  first  epistle  of  Peter,  and  commenting  upon  a  few 
verses  each  morning,  while  she  asks  her  pupils  to  study 
it  with  her  in  their  rooms.  Fearing  that  Christians 
were  not  prepared  to  meet  the  Lord,  she  takes,  on 
another  morning,  a  part  of  the  message  to  the  seven 
churches,  and  leads  them  on  to  feel  that  they  can  not 
serve  God  and  Mammon. 

Early  in  the  year,  we  find  her  explaining  to  Chris- 
tians the  office-work  of  the  Spirit  ;  his  ordinary  and 


SECOXD,    THIRD,    AND  FOURTH    YKARS.  133 

extraordinary  influences.  And  a  little  later,  reading 
to  the  whole  school  passages  on  grieving  that  Spirit, 
and  pointing  out  many  ways  in  which  it  might  be 
done,  saying :  "  You  may  grieve  the  Spirit  from  your 
own  heart  and  from  other  hearts.  It  may  be  done  by 
thinking,  doing,  or  speaking  of  unsuitable  things  at 
unsuitable  times.  It  is  a  solemn  thought,  that  a  word 
or  look  may  so  influence  another's  mind,  as  to  lead  her 
to  grieve  away  the  Spirit.  While  God's  essential  pres- 
ence is  ever  with  us,  he  may  be  tempted  to  withdraw 
from  us  his  blessing.  It  is  easy  so  to  grieve  him  that 
he  shall  leave  us  ;  and  oh,  how  much  more  easily  is 
he  invited  to  stay  with  us,  and  to  bless  us ! " 

Prayer  was  dwelt  upon,  and  it  was  shown  that 
watchfulness  and  prayer,  if  sincere,  can  not  be  separated. 
They  will  walk  hand  in  hand.  The  wrestling  Jacob 
was  one  morning  brought  before  the  school,  and  they 
were  led  to  feel  that  they  need  not  let  go  of  the  Eter- 
nal One,  even  when  he  lays  them  so  low  that  they 
can  no  more  wrestle  ;  and  that  the  Christian  often 
prevails  when,  God  having  touched  him,  he  must  lie 
passive  in  his  hands. 

Dec.  21,  1840,  was  observed  as  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer  in  the  school,  the  pupils  generally  desiring  it. 
It  was  not  customary  to  appoint  days  of  this  kind  so 
early  in  the  year,  but  a  special  blessing  followed  this. 
A  pupil  made  the  following  entry  in  her  note-book  on 
12 


134  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

that  day :  "  Miss  Lyon's  countenance  was  cheerful, 
and  her  instructions  such  as  we  needed.  Her  faith 
and  hope  seemed  strong,  yet  humble.  She  recom- 
mended us  to  read  portions  of  the  Psalms  and  Proph- 
ets, the  sixteenth  and  twenty-third  chapters  of 
Leviticus,  and  desired  us  to  pray  for  them  who  had 
neglected  to  decide  to  profess  Christ,  and  that  others 
might  be  guided  in  their  decisions  ;  for  those  who  are 
not  sincere  in  their  professions  of  interest ;  and  for  those 
just  rejoicing  in  hope,  that  they  might  never  go  back. 
When  she  met  us,  in  the  afternoon,  she  spoke  of  the 
different  classes  of  professing  Christians ;  the  back- 
sliding, inconsistent,  doubting,  easily-tempted,  deceived, 
and  the  active  Christian.  Her  words  were  solemn 
and  cheering." 

Four  days  later,  we  find  the  following  in  the  same 
note-book :  "  Miss  Lyon  read  passages  showing  the 
plan  of  the  divine  government,  —  that  this  world  was 
intended  as  a  place  of  education  for  heaven,  and  where 
it  is  not  so  used,  it  has  been  perverted.  It  was  de- 
signed that  we  should  always  exercise  diligence  and 
watchfulness.  We  are  not  to  expect  respite  from  la- 
bor, for  if  we  can  accomplish  some  things  with  facility, 
more  will  be  given  us  to  do.  Our  first  great  blessing 
is  that  we  may  be  saved  ;  the  second,  that  we  may 
labor  for  Christ." 

Another  morning,  we  find  her  dwelling  upon  a  uni- 


SECOND,    THIRD,    AND   FOURTH    YEARS.  IGj 

form,  serious,  Christian  deportment.  She  said :  "  It 
can  be  obtained  only  by  having  the  heart  deeply  im- 
pressed with  eternal  things,"  adding,  "  a  want  of  uni- 
formity, in  this  respect,  is  a  great  hindrance  to  Christian 
usefulness."  The  next  day  her  subject  was  the  propri- 
ety and  importance  of  Christian  rebuke,  from  the  most 
delicate  incidental  question  to  open  reproof.  She  said : 
"  Never  excuse  yourselves  because  the  person  in  fault 
has  been  told,  or  because  she  knew,  her  duty.  The 
addition  of  your  kind  caution  or  reproof  may  be  the 
means  of  saving  her."  This  was  the  talk  of  the 
morning,  while,  in  the  evening  meeting  for  Christians, 
she  dwelt  with  great  animation  on  the  joys  of  heaven. 
A  few  days  later,  we  find  her  speaking  upon  slander. 
One  who  knew  Miss  Lyon  well,  has  said  :  "  When  this 
was  her  subject,  we  always  felt  that  she  not  only  told 
us  what  we  ought  to  do,  but  what  she  was  actually 
doing.  For  years  I  was  intimately  associated  with 
her,  but  I  never  once  heard  from  her  lips  an  expres- 
sion, in  regard  to  another,  that  involved  unkind  feeling. 
There  were  no  hard  sayings  of  those  not  present. 
She  never  spoke  lightly  of  a  pupil." 

There  was  perhaps  no  morning  exercise  of  this  year 
more  impressive  than  that  of  Dec.  3,  when  Miss 
Lyon  entered  the  school,  as  was  her  custom,  with  her 
great  Bible  on  her  arm.  She  had  been  absent  for  sev- 
eral days,  watching  by  her  dying  mother,  and  as  she 


136  RHCULLECT10SS    OF    MARY  LYON. 

looked  around  upon  her  pupils,  and  gave  them  her 
good-morning,  there  was  an  irresistible  drawing  of 
hearts  toward  her.  She  read  1  Thess.  iv.  13,  and 
one  there  present  says  :  "  She  spoke  to  us  affection- 
ately of  her  dear  mother,  who,  as  she  trusted,  had 
been  prepared  many  years  to  be  called  home.  And 
now  that  the  last  object  was  removed  which  had  shared 
her  solicitude  for  her  pupils,  she  desired  to  be  more  faith- 
ful to  us,  so  that  if  at  last  all  should  not  stand  together 
on  God's  right  hand,  it  might  not  be  because  she  had 
been  unfaithful."  She  gives  expression  to  her  deep 
feeling  in  a  letter  to  Miss  Grant.  "  I  have  now  no 
mother  or  sister,  whom  I  can  go  and  see,  and  alone  I 
followed  my  dear  mother  to  the  grave.  Her  prayers, 
which  I  have  had  daily  for  so  many  years,  I  shall  have 
no  more.  She,  to  whose  comfort  I  have  been  expect- 
ing the  pleasant  privilege  of  administering  for  years 
to  come,  as  almost  the  only  child  left  her,  will  need 
nothing  more.  I  feel  my  family  loneliness,  but  with  it 
eternity  seems  very  near,  with  all  its  precious  privi- 
leges purchased  by  the  blood  of  our  glorious  Saviour." 
While  Miss  Lyon's  thoughts  and  feelings  turned  so 
fully  to  eternity,  she  was  still  in  time,  and  she  suffered 
much  in  her  health  under  these  repeated  strokes. 
During  the  winter  following  her  mother's  death,  she 
says,  she  was  "  obliged  to  give  over  many  portions  of 
her  work  to  others,  and  some  weeks  nearly  all ; "  but 


SECO.\D,    THIRD,  AND   FOURTH    YKARS.  137 

adds :  "  I  have  felt  that  I  hti\  e  nothing  to  say,  and 
scarcely  any  thing  to  ask  but  that  God  may  be  glori- 
fied." She  was  usually  engrossed  with  labor,  and  said 
so  little  of  personal  matters,  that  few  realized  the 
strength  of  her  attachment  to  her  friends.  Probably 
there  was  never  a  mother  that  received  purer,  stronger, 
and  more  lasting  love  than  did  the  mother  of  Mary 
Lyon.  She  had  honored  and  trusted  that  mother, 
sought  her  counsels  and  valued  her  prayers,  and  when 
she  realized  her  departure,  she  says  :  "  I  felt  a  loneli- 
ness of  which  I  had  no  previous  conception."  What 
Dr.  Hitchcock  says  of  Miss  Lyon  in  another  relation, 
we  say  in  this  :  "  How  happy  a  mother  must  have 
been  to  receive  such  love  from  such  a  heart !  "  Her 
own  strong  feelings  led  her  to  understand  those  of 
others,  and  many  can  fully  sympathize  with  the  lan- 
guage of  a  pupil  who  says  :  "  When  that  deep  sorrow 
rolled  over  me,  I  was  allowed  to  pillow  my  head  on 
Miss  Lyon's  bosom.  She  drew  me  so  near  to  her  that 
I  could  feel  the  beatings  of  her  own  heart.  One  friend 
said  to  me,  do  this,  and  another  said,  do  that ;  but  Miss 
Lyon  said  :  '  Rest  here,  my  child,  and  we  will  ask  God 
to  take  care  of  the  whole  matter.'  And  I  did  rest 
close  by  that  heart  of  love,  which  seemed  to  understand 
my  every  feeling,  and  thankful  to  know  that  there 
were  lips  which  could  open  only  in  gentleness  when  the 
soul  was  torn  with  grief." 

12* 


138  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,   written   soon 

O  * 

after  her  mother's  death,  lays  that  heart  open  before 
us.  The  pupil  to  whom  it  is  addressed  was  one  who 
had  suffered  from  the  severe-  sickness  of  the  previous 
autumn  in  person,  and  in  the  removal  of  a  loved  father 
and  sister.  Miss  Lyon  says :  "  Can  you  not  come 
and  stay  with  me  a  few  days  ?  I  am  not  able  to  go 
out  of  my  room  much,  and  it  would  be  a  great  comfort 
to  me  to  have  you  with  me.  Dear  one !  I  have  felt 
for  you  most  tenderly  in  your  trials.  They  have  been 
mine,  and  my  feelings  have  been  such  that  in  my 
present  state  of  health  I  have  hardly  dared  to  trust 
myself  to  write  you.  I  want  to  talk  with  you  of  your 
loss,  of  our  nine  dear  pupils  who  have  gone  to  be  with 
Christ,  of  my  mother  and  sister,  and  of  your  own  plans 
for  the  future.  Do  not  try  to  do  much.  Rest,  and 
rest  here  with  me,  if  you  can  leave  your  mother. 
Arms  of  love  wait  to  receive  you." 

When  Miss  Lyon  met  that  pupil,  some  months  later 
she  felt  that  there  were  none  other  than  arms  of  love 
thrown  around  her,  and  she  says  :  "  I  can  never  forget 
how  fast  those  tear-drops  fell,  as  she  silently  laid  her 
head  upon  my  shoulder  for  a  few  brief  moments,  and 
then  broke  the  silence  by  saying :  'How  I  do  thank 
God,  that  he  could  spare  you  to  come  back  to  life  !  I 
.  know  you  would  have  been  glad  to  go  at  once  to 
heaven,  but  will  you  not  also  be  happy  in  laboring  a 


SKCOXD,    THIRD,   AND    FOL'HTil    YKARS.  139 

little  longer  for  Christ  ?  '  There  was  to  me  a  new 
view  of  the  preciousness  of  laboring  for  Christ,  as  I 
looked  upon  that  countenance  where  smiles  and  tears 
so  met.  I  felt  that  only  a  heavenly  hand  should  wipe 
away  those  tears.  As  I  was  with  her  for  several  days, 
she  told  me  of  her  feelings  as  wave  after  wave  of  sor- 
row rolled  over  her  during  the  autumn.  She  once 
said  :  '  When  niv  pupils  were  dying  one  after  another, 
I  was  afraid  to  take  up  a  paper  lest  I  should  see  some- 
new  name  added  to  the  deceased,  and  not  have  strength 
to  meet  it.  I  was  afraid  to  ask  a  question,  or  even 
listen  to  conversation,  lest  I  should  not  find  myself 
prepared  for  what  I  might  hear.  There  were  days 
in  which  I  could  not  attempt  any  thing  except  to  ask 
God  to  hold  me  by  his  own  hand.  I  had  no  heart  to 
ask  for  any  thing  except  to  have  my  trust  in  God  se- 
cured to  me"."  After  dwelling  on  this  view  for  a  time 
she  added  :  '  But  these  events  helped  to  prepare  me 
for  other  trials  that  were  soon  to  follow,  in  the  taking 
from  me  of  my  mother  and  sister.  And  then  to  think 
of  all  those  dear  pupils  in  heaven.  Oh,  how  good 
God  was  to  make  all  his  before  he  took  any  away ! 
Heaven  seems  nearer  to  me  than  ever  before,  and 
labor  on  earth  sweeter.  A  gentler  and  a  safer  hand 
than  mine  leads  those  who  are  gone.  How  com- 
forting !  '  " 

Miss  Lyon  said,  near  the  close  of  life :  "  If  trials 


1-10  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

and  perplexities  come,  then  we  may  look  for  some 
comforting,  consoling  providence.  We  may  always 
expect  enough  of  trial  and  difficulty  to  make  us  love 
to  sing,  — 

'  Is  this,  dear  Lord,  that  thorny  road 
That  leads  us  to  the  mount  of  God?  " 

and  enough  of  consolation  and  support  and  blessing  to 
make  us  feel  that  Christ's  yoke  is  easy  and  his  burden 
light."  While  the  trials  of  this  year  were  severe,  the 
blessings  were  great. 

During  the  summer  of  1841,  Miss  Lyon  left  her 
school  and  took  a  journey  with  her  kind  friends,  Dea. 
and  Mrs.  Saffbrd.  She  returned  with  renewed  health 
and  every  thing  around  comforted  her.  The  new 
building  was  so  far  advanced  that  she  could  receive  a 

o 

larger  number  of  pupils  .the  coming  year.  There  was 
almost  perfect  health  in  the  school,  and  there  had  been 
a  rich  blessing  of  the  Spirit,  such  an  one  that  Miss 
Lyon  herself  said  :  "  It  seems  to  me  that  I  never  had  a 
school  in  which  there  was  more  of  the  spirit  of  heaven." 
She  was  obliged  to  relinquish  much  of  her  teaching  in 
the  class-room  this  year,  but,  so  far  as  able,  she  gave 
the  religious  instruction,  and  also  often  met  the  school 
in  a  general  exercise  in  the  afternoon.  At  such  times 
all  were  assembled  in  the  seminary  hall  and  the  talks 
were  of  a  miscellaneous,  but  strictly  practical,  charac- 
ter. They  were  valued  at  the  time,  but  far  more  in 


SECOND,    TUIRD,    A\D    FOURTH    YEARS.  141 

after  life  when  circumstances  led  to  applying  them. 
One,  who  long  since  left  the  seminary,  has  said :  "  There 
is  not  a  day  of  my  life  in  which  I  do  not  recall  those 
afternoon  exercises  of  Miss  Lyon.  My  increasing  ex- 
perience of  life  increases  my  admiration,  both  of  her 
ability  to  select  topics  on  which  to  counsel  us,  and  her 
power  to  make  so  permanent  an  impression  on  our 
minds.  She  certainly  understood  the  will  of  the  Lord 
as  fully  as  Paul,  and  in  secular  no  less  than  in  spiritual 
matters."  We  give  notes  of  a  few  of  the  afternoon 
exercises  of  that  year,  just  as  they  were  written  at  the 
time  by  pupils.* 

These  afternoon  exercises  were  entered  into  with  so 
much  interest,  that,  for  the  time,  one  would  suppose 
that  Miss  Lyon's  heart  was  so  fully  in  them  that  there 
could  be  no  thought  for  the  evening  meeting  that  was  to 
follow.  But  she  could  turn  from  one  to  the  other  with 
perfect  ease  because  with  her  all  was  done  for  God. 

We  have  seen  her  in  the  afternoon  cause  the  great- 
est merriment  as  she  drew  the  picture  of  a  family 
wanting  in  promptness  (she  would  make  certain 
courses  of  conduct  appear  ridiculous,  but  never  rid- 
iculed persons),  and,  when  the  evening  came,  there 
would  be  a  holy,  delightful  calm  as  we  gathered  around 
her  to  have  her  point  us  to  Christ,  our  Mediator,  stand- 
ing at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and  making  this  a 

*  See  Appendix,  p.  235. 


142  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

reason  why  we  should  live  holy  lives.  "  Yet,"  she 
added,  "  you  will  not  all  manifest  your  Christian 
character  in  the  same  way ;  you  are  variously  consti- 
tuted. Perhaps  some  of  you  are  inclined  to  be  very 
silent.  Now  we  wish  you  to  correct  this  as  far  as  it  is 
an  evil.  But  being  a  Christian  will  not  make  such  a 
person  talk  all  the  time ;  neither  should  it  cause  a  very 
lively  person  to  be  silent.  Honor  God  with  the  consti- 
tution he  has  given  you,  keeping  your  peculiar  tem- 
peraments and  tendencies  in  perfect  control.  It  is  not 
wise  for  a  Peter  to  try  to  be  a  John,  but  rather  to  be 
the  best  Peter  possible,  and  John  to  be  the  best  John 
possible,  rather  than  seek  to  be  a  Paul.  Then  she 
would  address  young  Christians  with  great  tenderness, 
beseeching  them  not  to  go  back  to  the  trifles  and  van- 
ities of  this  world,  and  encouraging  them  to  go  for- 
ward, because  Christ  loves  to  fulfill  his  precious  prom- 
ises to  individuals  ;  and  she  would  add  :  "And  why, 
dear  young  friends,  should  you  not  be  the  individuals 
to  know  the  fullness  of  these  promises  ?  " 

Miss  Lyon  sympathized  so  fully  with  the  feelings  of 
her  pupils  that  they  seldom  made  plans  for  doing 
any  thing,  not  even  the  giving  of  a  present,  without  her 
approbation.  One  says  on  this  point :  "  We  were  sure, 
if  it  was  best  to  do  it,  she  would  favor  it ;  but,  if  she  saw 
reasons  for  not  pursuing  our  plan,  we  could  cheerfully 
relinquish  it."  She  often  made  such  remarks  as  the 


SECOXD,    THIRD,   AND    FOURTH    YEARS.  14  °> 

following  to  her  pupils  :  "  I  do  not  think  the  giving 
of  presents  should  be  greatly  encouraged,  and  still  it 
is  at  times  highly  proper.  We  sometimes  receive 
favors,  and  there  are  public  services  rendered  which 
money  can  not  repay,  and  in  some  gift  we  can  show 
the  friend  who  has  conferred  them  that  they  are  held 
in  grateful  remembrance.  If  the  gift  can  be  the  work 
of  our  hands,  something  which  costs  time  rather  than 
money,  it  will  only  be  the  more  acceptable.  Making 
presents  sometimes  cultivates  a  spirit  of  selfishness,  be- 
cause gifts  are  expected  in  return.  Those  who  are 
most  ready  to  give  splendid  presents  are  not,  usually, 
the  most  ready  to  give  to  benevolent  objects,  and  thus 
a  high  standard  of  benevolence  is  not  cultivated." 

After  listening  to  such  sentiments  as  these,  we  are 
not  surprised  to  find  the  following  entries  in  the  note- 
book from  which  we  have  already  drawn  :  — 

Nov.  16,  1840.  "  Miss  —  and  I  went  to  Miss  Lyon's 
room  to  propose  a  plan  for  giving  Mr.  Hyde  (the  stew- 
ard) a  present.  She  favored  it,  expressing  the  hope 
that  it  would  not  diminish  our  missionary  contribution. 
It  is  remarkable  how  she  takes  every  thing  into  view." 

Nov.  22.  "  Miss  Lyon  sent  for  four  of  us  to  talk 
with  us  about  the  present.  How  she  remembers  every 
thing !  Each  young  lady  gave  six  and  a  quarter  cents, 
and  we  presented  Mr.  Hyde  sixteen  volumes  of  the 
Evangelical  Family  Library." 


144  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MART  LVOV. 

There  was  a  peculiar  satisfaction  to  the  pupils,  gen- 
erally, in  having  Miss  Lyon  know  all  that  was  going 
forward,  and  this  is  but  one  of  a  thousand  cases  where 
her  counsel  and  approbation  were  sought.  We  may, 
perhaps,  here  give  the  testimony  of  another  to  Miss 
Lyon's  comforting  words  :  "  There  was  a  sick  one  in 
our  family,  for  whom  Miss  Lyon  wished  me  to  care. 
Finding  that  one  of  my  recitations  was  Ecclesiastical  His- 
tory, and  that  I  had  before  studied  it,  she  told  me,  if  I 
would  take  care  of  the  suffering  one,  I  should  be  ex- 

O 

cused  from  the  review  of  the  book  at  the  close  of  the 
year,  as  well  as  from  a  public  examination.  But  when 
the  time  came,  1  heard  my  name  read,  and  was  called 
to  duty.  I  spoke  to  the  teacher  of  the  class  about 
being  excused  from  it  by  Miss  Lyon ;  but  she  thought 
there  was  a  mistake,  and  I  must  recite.  I  spoke  to 
her  the  second  time  with  a  full  heart,  when  she  said : 
'  I  think  you  are  mistaken,  but  we  will  go  to  Miss 
Lyon.'  In  a  moment  we  were  by  Miss  Lyon's  side, 

and  her  cheerful  *  What  is  it,  Miss ?  '  led  me  to 

begin  to  say :  '  Am  I  mistaken,  Miss  Lyon,  in  thinking 
that  you  said  I  might  be  excused  from  the  review  ? ' 
Here  she  took  the  words  from  my  lips :  '  I  know,  dear, 
your  History.  Why,  no,  dear,  you  are  not  mistaken. 
Was  your  name  read  ? '  Her  kindness  brought  tears, 
and  the  tears  brought  her  hand  to  wipe  them  away, 
saying :  '  Certainly  you  are  excused,  and  do  you  not 


SXCO.VD,    THIRD,   AND   FOURTH    YEARS.  14-5 

wish  to  be  excused  from  something  else  ?  I  have  not 
forgotten  what  you  did  for  the  sick  one.'  I  could  not 
answer  ;  and  seeing  this,  she  said  with  a  smile  :  '  Did 
you  know  that  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Porter  are  expected 
this  afternoon  ?  Would  you  not  like  to  come  and 
help  me  arrange  the  room  for  them  ? '  Oh,  how 
thankful  I  was  for  the  kindness  and  for  the  wisdom 
that  turned  my  heart-throbbings  into  another  channel, 
by  giving  me  something  to  do !  " 

But  the  kindness  manifested  this  year  was  only  a 
repetition  of  the  kindness  of  other  years,  and  her  in- 
terest in  her  pupils  at  home,  as  expressed  in  the  follow- 
ing paragraph,  only  the  interest  of  every  year.  "  Miss 
Lyon  spoke  of  the  ways  of  doing  good,  after  we  re- 
turn home,  by  creating  and  sustaining  an  interest  in 
female  prayer-meetings,  by  manifesting  an  abiding 
interest  in  the  Sabbath  school,  either  as  teacher  or 
scholar,  by  religious  conversation,  by  seeking  out  and 
benefiting  the  poor,  by  instructing  children  in  relig- 
ious and  other  subjects,  and  by  our  deportment  at  home. 
Our  friends  will  expect  much  when  we  return  ;  our 
Saviour  will  expect  much.  We  may  do  much  to  ele- 
vate the  standard  of  piety  in  those  around  us." 

The  year  of  blessings  following  the  sore  trials  of  the 
autumn  of  1840  was  closed  by  the  anniversary  address 
given  by  Prof.  B.  B.  Edwards,  of  Andover.  When 
Dr.  Anderson  had  been  invited  two  years  before  to 

13 


140  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

give  the  anniversary  address,  many  friends  had  sought 
to  dissuade  him  from  bestowing  his  influence  on  such 
an  enterprise ;  but  Prof.  Edwards  had  advised  him 
to  do  it,  and  now  he  himself  stood  in  the  same  place,  to 
give  one  of  the  choicest  productions  of  his  gifted  mini 
and  pen.  It  was  a  fitting  close  for  the  school  year. 


CHAPTER    XI. 
Jtftfr  an*  Si*t&  gears. 

FIFTH  YEAR,  1841  —  ENLARGEMENT  OF  THE  SEMINARY  BUILDING  —  DAI- 
LY PRAYER-MEETINGS  BEGUN  —  SIXTH  YEAR,  1842  —  ASSISTANT 
TEACHERS — WEEKLY  MEETINGS  OF  THE  TEACHERS  —  TEACHERS* 
PRAYER-MEETING. 

IN  October,  1841,  the  seminary  was  again 
thronged.  The  new  building  was  not  ready  for 
occupancy  till  December,  but  Miss  Lyon  told  us  we 
could  certainly  be  very  happy  in  close  quarters  with 
the  prospect  of  such  ample  provision  the  remainder 
of  the  year.  The  whole  was  anew  given  to  the  Lord, 
The  dews  of  the  Spirit  began  to  descend  very  early, 
and  the  cloud  seemed  hardly  to  be  lifted  during  the 
whole  year ;  yet  at  its  close  more  were  left  out  of 
Christ  than  the  preceding  year.  This  year  was 
marked  as  one  of  great  growth  in  Christian  charac- 
ter. Many  who  had  been  prevented  from  returning 
the  previous  year  by  the  sickness  of  the  autumn  of 
1840,  were  now  present,  and  they  sat  as  learners,  with 
new  interest,  at  the  feet  of  her  who  had  had  fresh 
experience  of  heavenly  guidance  during  their  absence. 

(147) 


148  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY    LYON. 

It  was  during  this  year  that  little  daily  prayer-meet- 
ings were  commenced.  The  form  of  these  meetings 
has  been  somewhat  changed  since  that  time,  but  they 
have  been  constantly  continued.  When  instituted, 
they  were  called  "  neighborhood  meetings."  Suitable 
rooms  were  chosen  in  different  parts  of  the  house,  and 
all  were  invited  to  attend.  Teachers  were  never  pres- 
ent on  these  occasions,  —  the  meetings  being  conducted 
by  the  pupils  themselves.  In  some  of  these  circles  as 
many  different  individuals  had  charge  as  there  were 
days  in  the  week.  Monday  was  given  to  Foreign 
Missions,  and  she  who  had  the  care  of  the  meeting 
said  a  few  words  suggesting  particular  subjects  under 
this  head.  Then  followed  voluntary  prayers,  till  the 
time  had  expired.  Tuesday  was  given  in  the  same 
way  to  Home  Missions.  Wednesday,  to  prayer  for 
the  Bible  and  Tract  Societies.  Thursday,  to  home 
churches  and  friends.  Friday,  to  our  own  and  other 
seminaries,  while  on  Saturday  we  pleaded  for  Abra- 
ham's seed,  and  prayed,  "  Thy  kingdom  come  in  all 
the  world."  There  was  something  in  thus  praying 
together  that  united  Christian  hearts  very  closely,  and 
we  expected  to  hear  from  week  to  week  of  blessings  on 
those  for  whom  we  had  sought  to  the  Lord.  There 

O 

was  always  opportunity  for  any  one  at  the  meeting  to 
present  special  requests  for  prayer ;  and,  as  many  of 
those  not  Christians  attended,  there  sometimes  came  a 


FITTII   AXD   SIXTH    YEARS.  1  10 

message  like  this  :  "  While  you  pray  for  the  perishing 
heathen,  pray  for  a  perishing  sister  in  your  own  fam- 
ily." Though  Miss  Lyon  never  attended  these  meet- 
ings, yet  her  heart  was  in  them,  and,  as  she  saw  the 
crowds  pass  out,  she  would  say :  "  Let  me  decrease,  if 
I  may  only  see  these  increase." 

The  autumn  of  1842  opened  with  the  enlarged  sem- 
inary filled  to  overflowing,  and,  desirous  of  doing  all 
that  could  be  done  for  the  school,  Miss  Lyon  made  the 
number  of  teachers  larger  than  before.  Six  new  ones 
were  added  to  the  list,  while  Misses  Moore  and  Whit- 
man, made  associate  principals,  bore  the  seminary  upon 
their  hearts  with  hardly  less  interest  than  Miss  Lyon 
herself.  We  love  to  remember  what  Miss  Lyon  did 
and  how  God  honored  her  in  that  work  ;  but  her  hands 
were  stayed  up  by  two  as  faithful  servants  as  were 
given  Moses  in  the  hour  of  conflict.  Misses  Moore 
and  Whitman  entered  fully  into  all  Miss  Lyon's  plans, 
and  most  faithfully  did  they  carry  out  what  she  de- 
vised. The  younger  teachers  looked  upon  the  three 
as  of  one  mind,  and  one  of  those  teachers  has  said  : 
"  With  the  love  that  I  bore  to  Miss  Lyon,  I  could  love 
any  one  who  helped  her  faithfully,  and  met  her  every 
desire."  We  can  hardly  see  that  Misses  Moore  and 
Whitman  were  less  esssential  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
infant  seminary  than  Miss  Lyon  herself;  and  her 
words  in  reference  to  the  trustees  apply  to  them : 

13  * 


1.)0  RECOLLECTIONS     OF    MARY    LYON. 

"  They  were  raised  up  just  when  needed,  and  wi  a 
continually  receiving  fresh  anointings  from  the  Lord 
for  their  service." 

Mrs.  Cowles  has  described  Miss  Lyon's  teachers  as 
no  one  could  who  had  not  been  one  of  them  :  "  They 
regarded  her  with  mingled  love,  confidence,  and  vener- 
ation, entered  enthusiastically  into  her  views,  and  saw 
in  her  the  servant  of  the  Lord  raised  up  for  the  very 
work  that  she  was  doing.  In  selecting  her  assistants, 
Miss  Lyon's  first  question  was  not,  Are  you  of  one 
religious  denomination  or  another  ?  but,  Are  you  like  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  willing  to  make  yourselves  poor, 
that  others  through  your  poverty  may  be  rich  ?  "  And 
Mrs.  C.  says  that  when  they  accepted  an  invitation 
from  Miss  Lyon  to  be  with  her,  it  was  with  "  a  desire 
to  do  good  "  combined  "  with  the  pleasure  of  unfolding 
minds  of  a  higher  order,  delight  in  communing  with 
congenial  spirits,  the  identification  of  the  seminary 
with  themselves,  and  the  luxury  of  living  in  what 
seemed  to  them  a  miniature  paradise,  and  of  antici- 
pating the  millennial  glory." 

Their  pupils  were  from  an  intelligent  class,  the 
course  of  study  from  year  to  year  was  extended,  and 
Mrs.  C.  has  justly  said  of  those  teachers :  "  A  solemn 
sense  of  accountability  to  God  for  the  right  use  of 
their  time  and  faculties,  secured  a  higher  standard  of 
study  and  recitation  among  scholars  than  any  motives 


Fit' Til  AXD   SIXTH    MARS. 

drawn  from  the  world  of  time  and  sense  could  have 
done.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  indeed  wisdom  and 
instruction." 

Miss  Lyon  was  accustomed  to  refer  to  her  teachers 
before  the  school  in  a  manner  that  led  the  young  ladies 
to  see  how  much  she  esteemed  them,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  realize  that  she  expected  they  would  give 
themselves  entirely  to  their  work.  We  copy  the  fol- 
lowing from  a  note-book,  bearing  date  October,  1842: 
"  Such  is  the  value  of  immortal  beings,  that  all  who 
have  the  care  of  youth  ought  to  make  every  sacrifice 
for  their  good,  and,  if  need  be,  perhaps  lay  down 
their  lives.  With  this  motive  in  view,  the  teachers  in 
this  school  endeavor  to  make  it  the  best  possible  in  their 
power.  I  believe  that  the  love  and  respect  of  the 
young  during  the  whole  progress  of  their  education 
are  best  secured  by  those  teachers  who  pursue  plans 
best  adapted  to  their  improvement.  Teachers  may  be 
strict  without  harshness,  and,  having  decided  upon 
what  is  best,  they  should  seek  to  carry  it  out  in  the 
most  kind  and  acceptable  manner." 

Another  note-book  of  a  later  year  says  :  "  Miss  Lyon 
said  to  us,  —  'I  feel  that  these  teachers  are  placed  here 
by  the  special  providence  of  God,  and  therefore  they 
may  expect,  in  seeking  to  him,  to  know  his  will. 
We  shall  wish  to  do  what  is  right,  kind,  and  benevo- 
lent. We  hope  and  expect  that  you  will  be  glad  to 


152  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOff. 

meet  our  requirements.  I  think  that  proper  parental 
government  is  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  principles 
and  spirit  of  the  divine  government,  and  I  think  that 
school  government  should  be  made  the  same.  It  is, 
indeed,  sometimes  more  like  the  divine  government 
than  the  parental,  because  the  latter  is  more  liable  to 
be  vitiated  by  parental  fondness. ' '  She  never  feared  to 
speak  to  her  school  of  what  a  teacher's  qualifications 
should  be.  She  once  said,  when  both  teachers  and 
pupils  were  present :  "  If  you  would  be  good  teachers, 
you  must  seek  to  have  your  minds  meet  other  minds. 
You  must  be  able  to  take  charge  of  any  part  of  a 
child's  education  ;  try  to  lead  in  the  path  of  universal 
wisdom." 

Weekly  meetings  of  the  teachers  were  held  for 
mutual  consultation  and  prayer.  Miss  Lyon  met  her 
assistants  as  an  elder  sister,  and  there  was  no  clashing 
of  opinions  among  them.  One  of  those  teachers,  under 
date  of  Oct.  23,  1846,  thus  writes  :  "  This  is  our  even- 
ing for  teachers'  business  meeting.  We  had  a  very 
pleasant  time.  After  the  business  was  finished,  Miss 
Lyon  went  down  and  had  a  quantity  of  peaches 
brought  up ;  then  she  said  :  '  I  wish  you  all  to  consider 
yourselves  as  visitors  and  to  enjoy  yourselves  as  much 
as  possible.  I  can  not  talk  "  (she  was  suffering  from  a 
severe  cold),  "  but  I  can  see  your  smiling  faces  and 
enjoy  it  all,  though  I  can  not  hear  very  well.'  '  Under 


FIFTH  AXD   SIXTH  YEARS.  loo 

another  date,  the  same  writer  says  :  "  At  the  close  of 
the  teachers'  meeting,  Miss  Lyon  said :  '  We  have  a 
great  work  to  do.  Let  us  be  faithful  to  these  dear 
children.  How  many  parents'  hearts  are  beating  with 
anxious  hopes  for  our  dear  charge  !  I  like  to  think 
what  a  number  of  Christian  parents  are  connected  with 
our  school.  It  is  a  privilege  to  spend  and  be  spent  for 
tliL-ir  children ;  above  all,"  let  us  seek  their  spiritual 
welfare.  Let  us  keep  in  mind  that  our  great  work  is 
to  seek  the  salvation  of  souls/  At  another  meeting, 
Miss  Lyon  said  :  '  Now  I  would  like  to  know  if  any 
of  you  has  too  much  to  do.  Tell  me  frankly  if  it  is  so. 
There  may  have  been  some  oversight,  that  has  given 
some  one  of  you  more  than  her  share  of  labor.  Do 
not  be  afraid  to  speak  of  it ;  if  you  tell  me,  it  will  only 
help  me  to  give  you  more  when  you  can  bear  it.  I 
know  you  all  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  do  what  you  can.' 
"  At  the  close  of  another  business  meeting,  these 
words  fell  from  her  lips :  *  I  think  we  should  be  very 
careful  to  observe  the  general  regulations  of  our  fami- 
ly ;  try  to  be  systematic.  I  have  suffered  all  my  life 
from  the  want  of  regular  habits.  I  wish  you  to  accus- 
tom yourselves  to  be  thoroughly  systematic  in  the 
division  of  your  time  and  duties.  I  know  you  have 
many  interruptions,  and  many  little  things  to  look 
after  ;  but  so  it  must  be  with  ladies.  I  really  think  it 
requires  more  discipline  of  mind  and  more  grace  to 


154  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

meet  a  lady's  duties  than  a  gentleman's.  He  lias 
little  of  minutiae  to  attend  to.  He  can  rise  in  the 
morning  and  go  to  his  business  without  hindrance  ; 
but  it  is  not  so  with  a  lady,  and  I  would  not  have  it 
otherwise.' " 

Near  the  time  of  a  vacation,  and  when  Miss  Lyon 
was  not  able  to  labor  herself,  we  find  the  following  in 
a  letter :  "  Miss  Lyon  is  rather  better.  We  met  in 
her  room  as  usual  for  business  on  Friday  evening. 
She  said,  'she  knew,  that  the  few  days  before  we 
should  separate  would  be  days  of  great  importance. 
She  hoped  we  should  be  faithful.  She  felt  that  she 
was  herself  almost  a  cumberer  of  the  ground,  but  she 
did  sympathize  with  us  in  our  many  labors.' ':  Miss 
Lyon's  teachers  always  felt  that  she  sympathized  with 
them.  It  was  always  easy  to  work  with  her.  They 
were  assured  that  they  really  helped  her,  and  no 
mother's  heart  was  perhaps  ever  more  gratified  for  an 
unexpected  favor,  or  relief  when  weary  and  worn, 
than  Miss  Lyon.  One  who  often  guarded  her  door 
carefully  that  she  might  sink  into  unconsciousness  and 
thus  renew  her  prostrated  energies,  says :  "  Miss  Lyon 
almost  made  me  think  that  I  had  done  an  angel's 
work,  as  she  came  out  of  her  room,  so  bright,  and 
said  :  '  Oh,  I  am  so  thankful  to  you  for  this  rest !  You 
have  really  given  me  strength  for  many  days  of  labor.'  " 

Besides   the   business    meetings,  Miss   Lyon   held  a 


t'IFTH  AND  SIXTH   YEARS.  1  •",."> 

prayer-meeting  with  her  teachers,  when  she  en- 
couraged them  in  their  labors  for  souls.  They  went 
out  of  those  meetings  with  new  strength,  and  with  the 
conviction  that  every  soul  for  whom  they  cared  was 
borne  by  Miss  Lyon  to  the  Lord  Jesus.  We  add  ex- 
tracts from  letters,  which  show  the  spirit  of  these 
prayer-meetings.  The  first  was  written  soon  after  the 
close  of  a  vacation.  **  We  had  our  teachers'  prayer- 
meeting  in  Miss  W.'s  room.  Each  teacher's  sec- 
tion was  remembered,  —  those  who  had  become  Chris- 
tians, and  those  still  interested,  but  not  Christians. 
Miss  Lyon  spoke  of  the  importance  of  being  faithful, 
especially  in  our  closets,  and  said :  '  We  shall  doubt- 
less be  tried.  It  must  be  precept  upon  precept,  and 
prayer  upon  prayer.'  She  closed  by  saying :  '  All 
may  be  dark  to  us,  but,  like  Noah's  dove,  we  may  find 
a  rare,  a  sweet  resting-place  with  our  God.  He  can 
not  fail  us.' ' 

The  same  writer  says,  under  a  later  date  in  that 
year :  "  In  our  teachers'  prayer-meeting,  Miss  Lyon 
requested  us  to  mention  any,  not  Christians,  whom  we 
would  like  to  have  prayed  for.  Two  were  mentioned  ; 
and  then  we  knelt  down  and  prayed  for  them  ;  and 
then  two  more,  and  so  on,  till  twelve  were  mentioned." 
A  week  later,  the  same  says  :  "  As  at  the  last  meeting, 
we  remembered  individuals  in  our  prayers.  One  for 
whom  we  then  prayed  is  now  indulging  hope.  Misy 


!,"<>  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

Lyon  said  :  '  Let  us  pray,  expecting  an  answer.'  "  Of 
tlie  last  teachers'  prayer-meeting  of  that  term,  we  find 
the  following  :  "  What  shall  we  pray  for  while  we  are 
separated  ?  Let  us  remember  all  the  family  ;  pray  for 
all  the  Christians,  that  they  may  be  more  and  more 
consecrated  to  God ;  that  they  may  be  kept  from  temp- 
tation. Let  us  pray  for  those  with  whom  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  still  striving."  She  then  proposed  that  the 
names  of  all  those  without  hope  should  be  mentioned. 
They  were  all  mentioned,  and  we  prayed  for  them. 
Miss  Lyon  then  remarked :  "  We  never  had  a  year 
like  this  before,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  tarried  so  long 
with  us  by  his  special  influences." 

In  the  middle  of  the  last  term  of  that  year  we  find 
Miss  Lyon  saying,  in  one  of  those  teachers'  meetings : 
"  Let  us  make  most  faithful  effort,  during  these  last  few 
weeks,  that  no  one  soul  among  us  be  neglected."  At 
another  meeting  still,  Miss  Lyon  proposed  that  subjects 
of  prayer  be  mentioned  for  the  ensuing  week  ;  and  re- 
quested the  teachers  to  pray  that  the  young  ladies 
might  succeed  in  their  studies  and  in  doing  right ;  and 
that  the  teachers  might  have  the  privilege  and  the  wis- 
dom to  help  them  to  do  right. 

In  the  records  of  those  teachers'  prayer-meetings 
we  also  find  how  Miss  Lyon  remembered  those  who 
had  gone  out  from  her.  The  following  notes  are  from 
the  journal  of  Mrs.  Mills,  whose  husband  has  been 


FIFTH  AND    SIXTH    YEARS. 

connected  for  some  years  with  Oahu  College,  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands. 

"  April  5.  At  our  teachers'  prayer-meeting  this 
evening,  after  singing,  Miss  Lyon  said :  *  We  will 
now  unite  in  two  prayers  for  those  who  once  met  with 
us  in  this  capacity,  and  who  are  now  on  missionary 
ground  or  on  their  way  thither.' 

"  June  4.  Miss  Lyon  again  asked  us  to  remember 
all  who  had  ever  taught  in  the  seminary,  and  espec- 
ially those  who  were  now  missionaries,  and  proposed 
that  we  should  have  stated  times  of  praying  for 
them. 

u  June  18.  At  teachers'  meeting,  Miss  Lyon  spoke 
with  interest  of  a  little  note  from  Mrs.  B.  (a  mission- 
ary), and  then  proposed  that  the  names  be  mentioned 
of  all  those  who  had  once  been  here,  but  who  were 
now  missionaries  either  at  home  or  abroad.  So  each 
of  us  mentioned  one  or  more,  till  the  names  of  all 
were  repeated.  We  then  united  in  two  prayers  for 
them,  Miss  Lyon  leading  in  one.  She  said  :  '  Let 
us  be  faithful,  and  we  shall  meet  these  friends  in 
heaven.' >: 

Eternity  alone  can  tell  how  much  of  blessing  was 
bestowed  upon  those  teachers  and  pupils  laboring  in 
our  own  and  other  lands,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of- 
fered for  them  by  their  friends  in  the  seminaiy.  Those 
absent  ones  have  often  said,  as  blessing  descended 


Io8          zr.coLLr.cTioxs  OF  MARY  LYON. 

upon  them  :  "  Some  one  is  praying  the  prayer  of  faith 
for  me."'  And  why  should  not  their  hearts  turn  to 
their  school  home  to  know  where  and  by  whom  such 
prayer  was  offered  ? 


CHAPTER     XII. 
Jfifilr  <mtr  Shrflj  gears,  Conlmuttr. 

MISS  LYON'S  EARLY  INTEREST  IN  MISSIONS  —  LABORS  TO  KINDLE  A  LIKK 
INTEREST  AMONG  HER  PUPILS  —  THE  TRUE  STANDARD  OF  GIVING  — 
THE  PRACTICE  OF  THE  JEWS  —  MEETING  OF  THE  A.  B.  C.  F  M.  IN  1842 
—  HER  TEACHERS  BECOMING  MISSIONARIES  —  CONTRIBUTIONS  —  PER- 
SONAL RESPONSIBILITY —  SUBJECTS  FOR  MEDITATION  AND  PRAYER. 

WE  have  seen  that  Miss  Lyon's  first  Christian 
desires  were  for  a  world  lying  in  wickedness ; 
and  how,  from  year  to  year,  these  desires  grew  ;  and 
how  she  realized  more  and  more  that  fellowship  with 
Christ  in  his  sufferings,  and  this  alone,  will  cany  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  that  salvation,  the  basis  of 
which  was  laid  in  tears  of  blood  and  groans  of  the  ten- 
derest  compassion.  But  there  was  a  missionary  inter- 
est in  her  heart  even  before  she  was  a  Christian  ;  for 
she  said  to  her  school  in  December,  1842 :  "  Some  of 
the  brightest  visions  of  my  childhood  are  of  Carev  and 
those  who  first  carried  the  gospel  to  the  heathen." 
She  adds :  "  I  well  remember  the  time  when  the 
names  of  Mills  and  his  associates  began  to  fall  on  my 
ear ;  I  remember  the  thoughts  of  my  young  heart 

150) 


110  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MART  LYOX. 

when  the  subject  of  foreign  missions  first  began  to  find 
its  way  into  the  family  circle,  and  to  be  spoken  of  as 
one  of  the  marvelous  things  of  the  age.  I  delight  to 
go  over  the  history  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  the  first, 
the  corner-stone  of  our  voluntary  benevolent  associa- 
tions. I  love  the  very  thought  that  I  can  remember 
the  beginnings  of  this  great  and  glorious  enterprise.  I 
beheld  the  infant  rocked  in  its  cradle.  I  knew  not 
why  it  was  born  or  wherefore  it  was  there.  I  have 
seen  it  grow,  become  endowed  with  understanding,  and 
give  laws  to  other  minds  and  direction  to  other  powers. 
I  remember  well  my  feelings  when  I  heard  in  my  early 
home  that  our  first  missionaries  had  sailed  from  Phila- 
delphia and  Salem.  I  honored  the  spirit  that  led  them 
forth,  reverenced  the  God  they  served,  and  asked, 
shall  I  ever  be  in  fuller  sympathy  with  him  and  with 
them  ?  Years  passed  by ;  and  one*  went  from  my  na- 
tive hills,  saying,  with  Paul,  '  Behold,  I  go  bound  in 
the  spirit  to  Jerusalem,  not  knowing  the  things  that 
shall  befall  me  there.'  A  tenderer  chord  was  now 
touched  ;  for  I  had  begun  to  love  the  Saviour,  and  my 
spirit  went  forth  with  his  to  Jerusalem. 

"  And  so  I  watched  from  afar  off  the  departure  of  each 
company  of  our  missionaries,  and  knew  as  far  as  I  might 
the  history  of  this  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  I  have 

•  Rev.  Plinv  Fisk. 


f  If  Til  A\D    SIXTH   YEARS.  161 

loved  to  stand  in  its  inner  temple  rather  than  its  outer 
court.  I  have  admired  it  as  I  have  understood  its 
nohle  principles,  been  familiar  with  its  history,  and  had 
occasion  to  thank  God  for  the  men  whom  he  has  raised 
up  to  guide  in  its  counsels,  and  carry  forward  its  work 
at  home,  as  well  as  those  who  have  taken  their  lives  in 
their  hands,  and  gone  forth  glad  exiles  from  their  coun- 
try, their  kindred,  and  their  father's  house.  In  this 
society  I  have  found  one  of  my  richest  fields  of  thought, 
of  meditation,  and  of  feeling.  If  I  am  permitted  to 
behold  but  one  more  public  scene  of  moral  sublimity, 
let  that  be  another  annual  meeting  of  the  American 
Board.  Let  me  again  behold  those  kindred  spirits  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  and  from  all  departments  of 
business,  assembling  with  one  accord,  in  one  place, 
that  they  may  consult  together  and  transact  business  in 
this  great  cause.  Let  me  listen  to  their  deliberations 
till  my  thoughts  gain  unwonted  strength,  and  my  heart 
an  unwonted  refreshing.  I  can  never  forget  our  last 
meeting  in  Norwich.  It  was  called  a  little  heaven  on 
earth  ;  but  to  me  it  seemed  more  like  a  scene  on  a  vast 
platform  raised  over  that  '  great  gulf  fixed,'  which  no 
one  can  pass  if  he  would.  On  the  right  was  the  world 
of  glory,  and  on  the  left  the  world  of  despair.  At 
one  time  our  attention  was  directed  to  the  right,  and 
there  was  but  a  step  between  us  and  heaven,  and  we 
sung  with  new  delight :  — 


102  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

'  Why  was  I  made  to  hear  thy  voice 

And  enter  while  there's  room, 
When  thousands  make  a  wretched  choice, 
And  rather  starve  than  come  ?  ' 

"  At  another  time  our  attention  was  directed  to  the 
left,  and  we  beheld  beneath  our  feet  an  innumerable 
company  of  immortal  beings  crowded  together  and 
plunging  over  its  awful  brink.  Ah  !  we  felt  then  that 
we  could  never  again  seek  to  please  ourselves,  and 
never  again  forget  the  cause  for  which  Christ  suffered 
and  died.  Who  among  us,  in  the  growth  of  his  mind 
and  in  the  development  of  his  heart,  does  not  feel 
himself  indebted  to  the  American  Board  ?  Who,  that 
knows  what  it  is  to  have  an  expanding  and  deepening 
Christian  sympathy  in  his  bosom,  does  not  in  this  also 
feel  himself  indebted  to  the  American  Board  ?  And 
who  can  bear  the  thought  of  one  retrograde  step  in 
all  its  movements  ?  Who  would  not  sooner  give  his 
last  mite  and  divide  his  last  loaf  ?  Though  the  barrel 
of  meal  be  ever  so  low,  and  the  cruse  of  oil  be  ever 
so  far  spent,  who  will  not  run  and  first  make  a  little 
cake  for  this  servant  of  the  Lord  ? 

"  There  is  not  a  day  in  which  I  do  not  ask  how  can 
I  enlighten  the  understanding,  and  direct  the  feelings 
of  my  pupils  aright  on  this  great  subject,  the  salvation 
of  the  world  ?  The  trial  of  giving  of  my  little  is  noth- 
ing in  comparison  with  my  anxiety  on  this  point. 


FIFTH  AND  SIXTH    YEARS.  10?) 

And  an  important  part  of  your  work  hereafter  may 
be  to  lead  others  to  give  as  they  should.  I  fear  I  can 
not  do  for  you  what  I  would  in  one  short  year. 

"  What  I  have  said  of  the  American  Board  applies 
to  other  societies  laboring  in  this  great  work.  I  look 
upon  our  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary,  Bible  and 
Tract  Societies,  as  the  four  corner-stones  on  which 
our  operations  rest.  And  the  question  with  me  is  not 
so  much  to  which  evangelical  denomination  we  shall 
give,  as  how  shall  we  so  unite  our  efforts  as  to  carry 
forward  most  rapidly  this  work  ?  " 

When  Miss  Lyon  uttered  these  words,  she  had  been 
for  five  years  in  the  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary.  The 
original  building  had  been  enlarged,  so  that  the  num- 
ber of  pupils  had  been  increased  to  about  two  hun- 
dred. Revival  had  followed  revival ;  but  she  feared 
lest  they  were  not  doing  all  they  ought  to  do  for  the 
kingdom  of  Christ.  It  had  been  her  desire  that  the 
seminary  should  possess  the  missionary  spirit  in  the 
highest  degree,  — a  school  where  all  should  be  trained 
to  live  for  the  saving  of  a  world.  She  said :  "  Our 
hearts  must  take  in  the  whole  world,  if  we  would  labor 
aright  for  Christ."  In  labor,  prayer,  and  giving,  she 
remembered  the  whole  world,  so  we  loved  to  hear  her 
speak  such  words  as  these,  which  she  gave  us  soon 
after  the  above :  "  There  are  two  reasons  why  we 
ought  to  give,  —  it  is  right,  and  it  will  do  good.  Thus 


101  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

it  is  in  God's  government.  He  is  guided  by  absolute 
riorht  and  infinite  benevolence.  The  manner  in  which 

O 

we  act  this  year  is  like  investing  capital.  Its  influence 
will  be  increasing  from  year  to  year.  There  is  a 
standard  of  giving  for  every  individual.  We  ought  to 
give  what  the  Lord  would  have  us  give.  And  this 
we  are  to  find  out.  If  it  were  written  on  the  walls  of 
our  rooms  how  large  or  how  small  a  sum  we  should 
give,  we  should  not  be  treated  as  moral  agents. 

"  We  are  placed  here  to  live  for  a  little  while  and 
then  go  away  and  live  in  another  world.  How  shall 
we  live,  and  how  shall  we  use  what  God  has  given  us  ? 
He  has  a  plan  for  every  farthing  he  has  placed  in  our 
hands.  If  we  are  willing  and  obedient,  we  may  know 
his  plan  ;  but  no  one  will  know  how  much  he  ought  to 
give,  unless  he  has  a  strong  desire  to  know.  God  will 
make  our  treasures,  whether  few  or  many,  a  touchstone, 
—  a  test  of  the  willingness  of  our  hearts.  He  has 
committed  to  us  these  earthly  treasures,  requiring  a  part 
to  be  devoted  to  spiritual  purposes.  He  might  have 
so  supplied  all  that  there  would  have  been  no  oppor- 
tunity for  us  to  give ;  but  he  has  seen  it  best  for  us  to 
divide  our  treasures  with  others.  The  Bible  is  our 
guide  in  this,  and  when  it  makes  known  our  duty,  we 
are  not  to  answer  again.  If  God  asks  a  part  of  our 
pittance,  we  must  not  inquire  how  we  can  get  along 
without  it. 


FIFTH  AXD   SIXTH  YEARS.  165 

"  Our  standard  of  giving  must  be  different  from  that 
of  those  who  have  gone  before  us.  The  lowest  of  us 
ought  to  rise  as  high  as  the  highest  did  thirty  years 
ago.  We  ought  to  rise  as  much  higher  than  our 
parents,  as  we  are  younger.  We  cast  no  reflections  on 
them.  They  will  receive  a  crown  if  they  labored  and 
gave  according  to  their  light.  We  have  greater  light 
and  greater  opportunities  to  do  good.  The  providence 
of  God  is  opening  to  the  Christian  every  where  a  way, 
a  highway,  a  way  of  holiness,  in  which  his  willing  feet 
may  run,  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  carrying  the 
tidings  of  salvation  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the 
earth.  It  is  a  privilege  to  give  even  the  widow's  mite. 
I  want  you  to  meet  all  your  treasures  in  heaven.  But 
remember  that  riches  may  be  corrupted.  We  shall 
find  that  they  have  been  in  the  last  great  day.  We 
shall  there  find  garments  moth-eaten,  gold  and  silver 
cankered,  and  rust  that  will  eat  flesh  as  fire.  But, 
my  dear  pupils,  you  may  sell  all  that  you  have  and 
give  alms,  and  you  will  find  a  treasure  in  heaven. 
And  oh,  what  a  treasure  it  will  be  !  —  redeemed  souls 
carried  to  heaven  through  your  instrumentality ! 

"  This  sordid  money,  what  is  it  ?  Why,  we  may 
perhaps  keep  it  till  we  go  to  the  grave,  and  then  we 
must  give  it  up.  This  dust,  what  is  it  ?  God  suffers 
us  to  show  by  it  how  much  we  love  him.  He  has 
thus  put  his  stamp  upon  it ;  so  it  has  become  very 


166  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOX. 

precious.     Yes,  we  can  give  it  to  Christ,  and  so  secure 
a  never-failing  treasure  in  heaven." 

A  little  later,  the  subject  was  pursued  by  reading 
passages  of  Scripture  showing  the  connection  between 
doing  and  giving  in  this  life  and  the  results  in  eternity. 
**  We  should  judge  of  the  pleasure  which  any  thing 
affords,  not  by  the  present  delight,  but  by  the  remem- 
brances it  will  bring  ;  and  these,  to  be  truly  delightful, 
must  be  increasingly  joyous  through  time  and  eternity. 
Sin  has  blinded  us  to  the  effects  of  much  that  we  do  ; 
but  our  acts  will  be  to  us  none  the  less  sources  of  never- 
ending  joy  and  woe.  We  must  not  be  careless  of  what 
we  have,  but  remember  that  God's  blessing  depends,  in 
no  small  degree,  on  the  manner  we  use  what  he  has 
committed  to  us  for  his  cause.  Pardon  is  not  to  be 
purchased  by  our  contributions ;  but  when  the  gift  of 
grace  is  secured,  the  precious  casket  may  be  filled  with 
enduring  treasures.  There  is  much  in  the  Bible  to 
establish  the  belief  that  a  certain  proportion  of  our 
property  should  be  devoted  to  the  Lord's  service.  In 
the  Old  Testament  the  system  of  tithing  is  fully  ex- 
plained. The  clearer  light  which  shines  in  the  New 
discloses  our  duty  without  any  need  of  specific  direc- 
tion. Malachi's  words  seem  to  have  reference  to  this 
subject.  The  tithes  must  be  given  if  we  would  secure 
the  blessing.  It  seems  probable  that  the  Jews  gave  at 
lea-st  four-tenths  of  their  income.  Shall  we,  under  the 


FIFTH  AXD  SIXTH   YEARS.  167 

gospel  dispensation,  with  increased  light  and  increased 
ability,  do  less  ?  The  Jews  all  gave,  the  rich  and  the 
poor  ;  and  we  should  count  it  a  privilege  that  we  may 
do  a  little  if  we  can  not  do  much.  How  the  Saviour 
honored  the  two  mites  of  her  who  ga.ve.all  her  living! 
The  Bible  teaches  us  to  give  a  portion  of  our  income 
to  the  Lord,  and  we  must  give  it  before  we  expend 
any  thing  for  ourselves.  I  should  not  dare  to  take 
from  that  part  to  give  to  the  common  poor,  to  educate 
a  sister  or  niece.  The  work  of  the  world's  conver- 
sion must  not  stop  for  such  objects  as  these.  If  any 
class  is  exempt  from  giving  the  specified  amount,  it  is 
ministers  and  educated  men,  whose  efforts  in  other 
ways  are  an  equivalent. 

"  When  Nehemiah  first  returned  to  Jerusalem,  the 
Jews  were  very  poor,  but  still  they  gave  their  tenths 
before  using  any  for  themselves.  In  Hezekiah's  day 
what  a  blessing  came  with  their  giving !  God  requires 
us  to  give  without  great  ability.  We  should  consider 
our  circumstances,  decide  what  proportion  we  will  give, 
and  adhere  to  it.  I  regard  it  my  duty  to  carry  out 
in  my  own  course  of  action  what  I  have  said  to  you. 
You  will  probably  see  it  all  true  at  the  judgment,  ana 
may  be  in  the  light  of  eternity  will  find  that  I  have 
fallen  far  below  the  true  standard.  Let  us  make  no 
exceptions  in  our  own  favor,  but  rather,  like  Paul,  inako 
exceptions  against  ourselves." 


168  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

Another  day  of  the  same  month  she  made  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  under  this  general  head  :  "  Benevolent 
objects  assume  different  garbs.  There  are  societies 
whose  work  must  be  planned  months  and  years  before- 
hand. Our  home  and  foreign  missionary  societies 
must  pledge  support  to  those  whom  they  send  out. 
We  should  be  very  careful  not  to  have  our  contribu- 
tions diverted  from  such  objects  even  for  a  single  year. 
Let  us  never  go  backward  one  step  in  such  a  work  as 
this,  but  rather  onward  to  the  day  of  our  death.  If 
our  parents  are  not  benevolent,  let  us  seek  to  supply 
their  lack  of  service. 

"  Practice  would  not  be  so  diverse  in  respect  to  Chris- 
tian liberality,  if  the  hearts  of  all  were  right.  Two 
Christians  of  equal  means  would  not  then  be  found,  one 
giving  five  dollars  and  the  other  five  hundred.  This 
contributing  is  the  current  money  of  the  heart.  It 
shows  to  an  extent  how  much  we  love.  And  oh,  what 
a  privilege,  by  giving  money,  to  show  our  love  to  Him 
who  has  redeemed  us  !  Unto  us  who  are  the  least  of 
all.  The  Jews  enjoyed  a  great  privilege  in  being  per- 
mitted to  build  an  earthly  temple ;  we  are  permitted  to 
build  a  spiritual  temple.  If  you  have  any  desire  to 
do  good,  act  at  once.  In  waiting,  you  may  lose  the 
little  desire  you  have.  These  passive  impressions  are 
exceedingly  dangerous.  Feeling  without  action. brings 
no  reward.  Do  and  suffer,  deny  yourselves  for  Christ, 


FIFTH  AMJ  SIXTH   YtARS.  169 

and  you  will  count  it  all  joy  in  the  end.  I  am  saying 
what  I  wish  you  to  remember  when  you  are  far  hence 
and  see  me  no  more.  May  you  remember  it  when  I 
am  laid  in  my  grave." 

One  morning  more  closed  the  remarks  of  that 
series :  "  I  have  but  a  few  words  more.  Before  we 
take  up  our  contribution,  let  us  all  take  time,  before 
God,  to  consider  the  worth  of  a  single  soul.  Perhaps 
we  can  better  understand  this  by  trying  to  think  what 
it  would  be  for  our  souls  to  be  lost.  When  we  trem- 
ble in  view  of  the  possibility  of  being  lost  ourselves, 
then  let  us  do  what  is  assigned  to  us  for  other  souls 
that  are  to  exist  just  as  long  as  we  shall  exist.  Have 
we  ever  given  and  toiled  and  prayed  for  those  in  dark- 
ness till  we  felt  the  sacrifice  ?  Are  you  ready  to  go 
yourself  to  the  corners  of  the  earth  for  the  salvation  of 
others  ?  If  we  send  others  to  endure  the  toils,  shall 
we  not  be  willing  to  practice  self-denial  ?  Do  you  de- 
sire in  agony  of  heart  to  know  what  you  ought  to  do  ? 
Then  give  in  proportion  to  your  feeling.  I  often  look 
forward  to  that  day  when  wre  shall  hear  it  said :  *  Inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these.' 
Let  us  do  it  unto  Christ,  and  first  of  all  give  him  our 
hearts.  I  seem  sometimes  to  look  out  through  the 
crevices  of  my  prison-house,  and  see  something  of  the 
work  given  us  to  do  here.  And,  young  ladies,  you 
may  see  more  than  I  see,  and  do  more  than  I  have 


170  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

done.  I  love  to  think  that  my  precious  daughters  will 
do  for  Christ's  kingdom  what  I  have  not  done  and  feai 
I  never  shall  do." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  American  Board  at  Norwich, 
in  the  autumn  of  1842,  to  which  reference  has  been 
made,  Miss  Lyon  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
thought  that  the  seminary  must  possess  more  of  the 
missionary  spirit.  She  gathered  around  her  many  of 
her  former  pupils,  who  were  present,  and  they  prayed 
that  the  year  just  opening  might  he  one  of  a  marked 
awakening  of  the  missionary  spirit.  She  said  :  "  The 
seminary  was  founded  to  advance  the  missionary  cause. 
I  sometimes  feel  that  our  walls  were  built  from  the 
funds  of  our  missionary  boards.  Certainly  much  of 
the  money  expended  upon  them  was  given  by  those 
who*  hold  every  thing  sacred  to  the  Lord,  and  who, 
probably,  would  otherwise  have  devoted  it  to  sending 
the  gospel  directly  to  the  heathen."  With  such  senti- 
ments in  their  hearts,  she,  and  those  with  her,  prayed, 
giving  the  seminary  anew  to  the  Lord,  and  to  the 
missionary  work.  The  Lord  accepted  the  offering, 
but,  in  so  doing,  asked  not  only  that  they  should  give 
gold  and  silver,  but  that  one  half  of  the  twelve  teach- 
ers who  were  with  her  that  year  should  sooner  or 
later  go  in  person  to  the  heathen.  Miss  Lyon  was 
often  heard  to  say  in  subsequent  years  :  "  I  little  knew 
how  much  that  prayer-meeting  would  cost  me."  She 


FIFTH  AND  SIXTH   YEARS.  171 

had  not  expected  to  be  called  upon  to  give  up  those  to 
whom  she  looked  for  help  in  carrying  on  her  work. 

Jan.  llth  of  that  year,  she  said :  "  Most  ladies  can 
doubtless  do  more  for  the  missionary  cause  at  home 
than  abroad.  Here  we  can,  and  we  will  pray,  and  let 
us  do  all  we  can  for  the  conversion  of  the  world.  Give 
your  cordial  support  not  only  to  the  American  Board, 
but  to  other  societies  whose  great  object  is  to  save  the 
world.  Wives,  mothers,  and  daughters  have  much 
to  do  to  elevate  the  standard  of  liberality  in  those  they 
love.  Perhaps,  as  daughters,  you  should  not  be  willing 
to  have  so  much  lavished  upon  you,  while  there  is  so 
little  given  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  By  constant  well 
doing,  you  may  influence  a  brother  or  sister  to  conse- 
crate all  to  the  cause  of  benevolence.  You  may  even 
lead  a  brother  to  give  himself  to  the  work."  She  then 
referred  to  the  little  daily  prayer-meetings,  where  the 
different  portions  of  the  world  were  remembered  in 
prayer,  and  the  laborers  in  each  mentioned  by  name. 
She  hoped  that  many  more  would  find  time  to  attend 
these  meetings,  and  a  heart  to  pray  in  them.  She 
closed  by  saying :  "  When  you  pray,  remember  that 
every  lost  soul  would  consider  it  a  happy  exchange 
from  the  misery  of  damnation  to  all  the  sufferings  of 
every  individual  from  Adam  to  the  end  of  time,  and 
you  are  praying  for  those  hastening  to  such  a  state." 

Three  days  later,  she  came  into  school  to  say  :  "  I 


172  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

have  said  much  to  you  this  year  upon  cherishing  a 
missionary  spirit,  but  very  little  upon  giving  yourselves 
personally  to  the  work  abroad.  We  are  now  asked 
for  two,  to  go  as  teachers  to  a  distant  land."  She 
dwelt  upon  the  request  with  much  feeling,  and  asked 
all  to  pray  that  "  the  Lord  would  show  us  whom  he 
would  send." 

We  pass  over  weeks,  in  which  she  sought  to  know 
the  Lord's  will,  to  find  her  at  the  hour  of  midniglit, 
Feb.  18th,  entering  a  widowed  mother's  home,  and 
that  mother's  daughter  by  her  side.  A  month  before, 
that  mother  had  said :  "  If  my  child  thinks  that  she 
must  go,  she  will  go,  and  I  shall  probably  go  soon  to 
my  grave."  No  daughter,  who  realizes  that  her  moth- 
er's heart  is  in  a  heavenly  Father's  hand,  would  thus 
go  forth.  Miss  Lyon,  too,  had  said  :  "  I  think  this  is  of 
the  Lord.  Another  will  be  found,  while  you  will  love 
the  seminary  more  dearly  than  ever,  and  may  do  your 
missionary  work  here."  But  another  was  not  found, 
and  therefore  this  meeting  at  that  midnight  hour. 
The  errand  needed  no  explanation,  for  it  was  under- 
stood, and  few  were  the  words  spoken  that  night.  In 
the  morning,  the  language  of  the  weeping  mother 
was :  "  Who  am  I,  that  I  should  keep  back  my  child, 
when  my  Lord  calls  for  her  ?  "  Miss  Lyon  drew  near 
to  say  to  that  mother  :  "  I  came  with  your  daughter, 
because  I  thought  I  almost  knew  your  feelings.  I  give 


FIFTH  AND  SIXTH  YEARS.  173 

up  a  daughter  also.  I  have  supposed  she  might  com- 
fort you  in  your  declining  years,  and  have  her  home 
also  with  me  at  the  same  time,  and  labor  for  our  dear 
seminary  with  me  till  I  go  home.  If  we  are  to  give 
her  up,  we  shall,  in  so  doing,  understand  as  never  be- 
fore the  gift  of  the  Son  of  God."  Ten  days  later,  that 
daughter  left  her  mother,  and  closed  her  labors  with 
Miss  Lyon  to  find  her  home,  her  work,  and  her  rejoic- 
ing over  souls  saved  in  a  distant  land.* 

In  that  Norwich  covenant,  Miss  Lyoii  had  assured 
the  Lord  that  she  wished  the  seminary  to  be  wholly 
consecrated  to  him.  In  tender  mercy  he  remembered 
the  word  of  his  handmaiden.  He  saved  many  souls, 
and  allowed  her  to  seal  her  covenant  by  giving  up  her 
teachers.  As  she  bade  farewell  to  one  after  another, 
she  said  :  "  We  love  that  cause  best  for  which  we 
suffer  most."  And  we  are  told  that  she  said  to  the 
widowed  mother  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  at  the 
midnight  hour :  "  I  thought  I  knew  something  of  self- 
denial  in  giving  money,  but  I  am  thankful  that  I  had 
something  else  to  give  ;  for  there  is  an  inner  soul  that 
was  not  then  reached."  These  removals  of  teachers 
were  so  numerous  that  she  was  sorely  taxed,  and  her 
friends  sometimes  feared  that  she  would  sink  under 
them.  But  they  were  for  a  cause  she  truly  loved,  and 
of  which  she  had  said  :  "  If  I  have  two  idols,  they  are 

*  The  person  here  referred  to  was  Miss  Fiske.  —  ED. 
15* 


174  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

this  seminary  and  the  missionary  cause  ;  and  these 
were  both  God's  before  they  were  mine."  She  could 
give  to  God  and  say :  "  It  is  easiest,  safest,  and  sweet- 
est to  trust  him." 

There  has  been  an  allusion  to  missionary  contribu- 
tions taken  up  in  the  school.  These  were  customary 
from  the  beginning,  Miss  Lyon  giving  as  her  reason 
for  it,  that  "practice  will  make  a  more  lasting  im- 
pression on  the  mind  than  any  amount  of  instruction. 
Wherever  we  are  we  should  consider  our  missionary 
contribution  a  part  of  our  expenses,  and  plan  accord- 
ingly." Miss  Lyon  gave  a  large  portion  of  her  little 
income,  contributing,  for  several  years  before  her  death, 
no  less  than  ninety  dollars  each  year,  from  her  salary 
of  two  hundred,  to  home  and  foreign  missions.  She  did 
not  say  that  others  ought  to  do  as  she  did,  but  with 
such  an  example,  her  instructions  never  fell  powerless. 
During  the  year  on  which  we  have  been  dwelling,  the 
sum  of  nine  hundred  and  fourteen  dollars  was  con- 
tributed to  home  and  foreign  missions,  and  in  a  later 
year  the  amount  went  up  to  more  than  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars.  From  1842  to  1849,  no  less  than  seven 
thousand  dollars  were  thus  given. 

It  was  at  that  time  customary  for  Miss  Lyon  to 
have  two  missionary  subscriptions  in  the  course  of  the 
year.  She  brought  the  subject  before  the  school  a 
second  time  after  this  revival,  and  wrote  out  her 


FIFTH  AND   SIXTH   YEARS.  1  i  ,> 

thoughts  before  giving  them  to  her  pupils.  They 
were,  about  that  time,  embodied  in  a  little  book  en- 
titled The  Missionary  Offering.  When  it  was  written, 
retrenchment  in  our  missions  was  talked  of,  and  Miss 
Lyon  looked  at  the  sixty  recently  converted  in  her 
school,  saying :  "  How  anxious  I  should  be  for  you,  if 
you  were  now  to  be  left  without  Christian  watch,  and 
how  much  more  the  converts  from  heathenism  must 
require  it ! "  We  subjoin  in  the  Appendix  the  view  of 
personal  responsibility  she  then  gave.* 

Miss  Lyon  not  only  encouraged  her  pupils  to  give 
for  the  cause  of  benevolence,  but  she  sought  to  help 
them  pray  also.  On  the  first  Monday  in  January, 
1843,  the  day  set  apart  for  prayer  for  the  conversion 
of  the  world,  she  said  to  them  :  "  Do  you  feel  that  you 
have  no  abiding  spirit  of  prayer  for  missions  seek  to 
gain  missionary  intelligence  from  week  to  week,  and 
give  an  hour,  at  least,  each  week,  to  meditating  on 
some  great  truth,  as  the  love  of  Christ,  the  worth  of  a 
soul.  This  will  help  you  to  pray,  and  you  will  love  to 
pray." 

The  following  subjects  of  prayer  were  given  to  her 
school  on  that  day  :  — 

"SUBJECTS  FOR  MEDITATION  AND  PRAYER. 

"  I.    Confession.     Of  our  sins,  individual  and  particular, 
before  and   after   conversion.     Social    sins  —  here,  by  ex- 
*  Appendix,  p.  243. 


176  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MART  LYON. 

ample  —  at  home.  —  Enlarge  until  you  confess  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world.  —  Pray  for  heathen  as  sinners,  not  as  un- 
fortunate beings.  —  Think  of  the  guilt  of  the  world. 

"  II.  Meditate  on  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ.  Dwell 
upon  it,  and  enlarge  as  on  the  preceding  topic.  —  Sin  to  be 
the  great  object  of  thought,  and  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ 
is  the  only  corresponding  thought 

"  III.  Eternal  punishment.  Unless  we  dwell  upon  this 
truth  we  cannot  realize  the  fullness  of  the  atonement. — 
Pray  first  for  ourselves  and  then  for  others.  —  How  many 
have  gone  down  to  everlasting  death  since  we  came  into 
this  room  —  since  we  awoke  this  morning ! 

"  IV.  Eternal  happiness.  Dwell  upon  eternal  happiness 
in  the  love  of  Christ. 

"  V.  Infinite  value  of  the  soul,  and  the  equal  value  of  all 
souls. 

"  PRAY   FOR    OURSELVES. 

"  I.  Pray  for  yourself  as  an  individual.  —  What  does 
God  require  of  you  in  regard  to  yourself?  —  What  in  relation 
to  your  friends,  —  in  relation  to  the  heathen  world  ?  What 
do  we  need  from  God  that  we  may  do  what  he  requires 
of  us  ? 

"  II.  For  the  conversion  of  souls  in  our  family.  —  Pray  for 
them  on  account  of  their  influence  in  the  conversion  of  the 
world. 


FIFTH  AND    SIXTH   YEARS.  177 

"  III.  Pray  for  the  continued  prevalence  of  religion  in 
our  family. 

"  PRAY  DIRECTLY  FOR  THE  CONVERSION  OP  THE  WORLD. 

"  I.  Dwell  on  the  promises  that  this  world  shall  be  con- 
verted. 

"  II.  Pray  that  the  fulfillment  of  these  promises  may  be 
hastened.  —  Think  of  the  truth  that  it  can  be  hastened  by 
believing  prayer,  or  delayed  by  the  neglect  of  it.  —  Pray  as 
though  you  were  the  only  person  in  the  universe. 

"  III.  Pray  for  the  prevalence  of  a  missionary  spirit.  — 
"When  we  pray  for  the  conversion  of  souls,  pray  that  they 
may  be  so  converted  as  to  have  a  missionary  spirit. 

"  IV.    Pray  for  the  success  of  missionary  operations. 
"  V.    Pray  for  a  blessing  on  missionary  societies. 
"  VI.    Pray  for  missionaries  themselves. 
"  VII.    Pray  for  particular  missionary  stations. 

"  VIII.  Pray  for  those  who  have  been  members  of  this 
school  and  are  now  missionaries. 

"  IX.  Pray  for  eminent  laborers  at  home  in  the  mission- 
ary work. 

"  X.  Pray  for  a  universal  spirit  of  liberality  and  a  uni- 
versal spirit  of  prayer  throughout  the  world." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Jfr0m  %  Sbtjj  to  %  Cmllj  |>ar. 


PROSPERITY  OF  THE  SEMINARY  IN  1842  —  DEPARTURE  OF  MISS  FISKE  TO 
PERSIA  —  RELIGIOUS  SORROW  —  REVIVAL  OF  1843  —  ITS  FRUITS  — 
EIGHTH,  NINTH,  AND  TENTH  YEARS,  1844  TO  1846  —  REVIVAL  OF 
1846  —  DEATH  OF  REV.  MR.  CON  D  IT  —  DEATH  OF  MISS  WASHBURN. 

"ll'ISS  LYON  wrote  Mrs.  Banister  in  December, 
-i*J-  1842,  in  regard  to  her  school,  as  follows:  "  We 
have  had  a  very  prosperous  year  in  worldly  things. 
Every  thing  is  systematized,  and  Miss  Moore  and 
Miss  Whitman  urge  forward  the  wheels  so  beautifully 
that  all  seems  more  than  ever  like  clock-work.  I  en- 
joy very  much  having  every  thing  done  better  by 
others  than  it  can  be  by  myself.  If  this  pleasure 
continues  to  increase  as  it  has  done  for  a  year  or  two, 
I  hope  I  may  be  prepared  to  be  happy  in  being  old 
and  in  being  laid  aside  as  a  useless  thing.  But  in 
spiritual  things  we  are  less  favored.  There  has  been 
less  interest  than  we  have  had  any  year  since  the 
tirst.  Pray  for  us  that  we  may  not  receive  all  our 
good  things  in  this  life." 

Miss  Lyon  rejoiced  in  the  external  prosperity  of  her 
school  and  in  the  increase  of  missionary  interest  ;  and 

(178) 


SIXTH   TO    THE   77..V77/    YEAR.  179 

when  one  of  her  teachers*  left  this  year  to  go  in  per- 
son to  the  benighted,  her  whole  soul  was  in  the  matter, 
and  she  was  with  her  day  and  night  to  give  some  of 
the  choicest  counsels  that  ever  fell  from  mortal  lips, 
and  to  know  that  every  thing  was  done,  that  could  be 
done,  for  her.  When  the  moment  of  separation  came, 
she  whispered  a  last  word  of  counsel,  and  then  said  : 
"  You  will  pray  for  us  —  will  you  not  ?  —  all  the  way  to 
Persia.  As  you  remember  the  dear  seminary,  you 
can  not  do  otherwise.  When  you  lie  in  your  berth, 
will  you  not  carry  us  to  God  ?  "  A  year  afterward, 
she  wrote  that  friend  :  "  It  is  one  year  this  week  since 
we  were  in  Boston  together.  I  can  never  forget  that 
week  after  you  left,  which  I  spent  there  especially  to 
rest,  to  meditate,  and  to  try  to  pray  ;  and  I  can  never 
forget  the  scenes  of  the  month  that  followed,  —  the 
unspeakable  grace  of  God  then  manifested.  I  shall 
ever  regard  those  scenes  as  among  the  most  striking  in 
exhibiting  and  illustrating  the  great  scheme  of  salva- 
tion." 

That  missionary  company  embarked  March  1, 1843  ; 
and  Miss  Lyon  left  those  departing  ones  to  return  to 
Deacon  Safford's,  where  she  had  been  for  several  days, 
tj  give  her  time  and  thoughts  to  meditation  and  prayer 
for  her  beloved  pupils.  The  hearts  of  the  members  of 
that  family  were  drawn  into  close  communion  with 

*  Mis»  Fiske. 


18b  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYOX. 

hers,  as  she  pleaded  for  a  heavenly  rain  to  descend  on 
the  dear  seminary.  She  seemed  to  them  like  Elijah 
bowed  upon  Carmel.  We  love  to  think  of  holy  com- 
munings  which  one  of  that  number  now  has  with  her  in 
heaven  ;  and  those  who  remain  on  earth  thank  God 
that  they  were  there  permitted  to  have  fellowship  with 
her  in  intercessions  for  immortal  souls.  They  can  not 
forget  how  she  appeared  as  she  turned  from  them, 
March  7th,  saying :  "  Pray,  pray  for  us." 

She  reached  South  Hadley  just  at  the  time  of  the 
afternoon  exercise  in  the  seminary  hall.  She  gave  the 
pupils  the  particulars  of  the  departure  of  the  teacher, 
and  closed  by  saying :  "  Young  ladies,  you  have  one 
less  to  labor  for  you  ;  but,  I  trust,  none  the  less  to 
pray  for  you.  The  last  word  that  I  said  to  Miss  Fiske 
was  :  *  Pray,  pray  for  us.'  And,  as  I  watched  her  till 
she  was  lost  to  my  sight,  I  could  but  feel  that  with  her 
last  look  of  her  native  land  she  prayed  for  you.  Will 
you  not  pray  for  yourselves  ?  " 

She  went  from  the  seminary  hall  to  soon  gather  her 
teachers  around  her.  One  of  those  teachers  wrote 
Miss  Fiske  soon  after :  "  At  that  meeting,  Miss  Lyon's 
heart  was  too  full  for  us  to  ask  her  of  your  last  days  in 
Boston.  She  had  told  us  in  school  of  her  request  to 
you  on  parting  ;  and  in  repeating  it  to  us,  she  con- 
vinced us  that  we  had  a  work  in  our  closets.  She 
seemed  to  be  burdened  with  the  thought  that  prayer  is 


SIXTH  TO     THE    TENTH    YEAR.  181 

our  only  refuge  in  this  fearful  extremity,  and  that,  if 
there  is  not  an  imniediate  work,  we  shall  probably  lose 
the  blessing.  I  never  felt  as  when  sitting  there  to 
hear  Miss  Lyon  ask  in  almost  agony :  '  Is  there  one 
here  to  pray  ?  '  Teachers  went  to  their  rooms  in  si- 
lence with  the  feeling  that  their  work  was  alone  with 
God.  The  next  day  was  our  recreation  day  ;  and  the 
very  silence  of  our  house  seemed  to  fill  us  with  awe. 
Hearts  were  too  full  to  pray  together  much." 

Thursday  morning,  March  9th,  Miss  Lyon  met  her 
school  as  usual  for  worship.  Mrs.  Peabody,  of  St. 
Louis,  has  made  the  following  record  of  that  morning's 
exercise  :  "  Miss  Lyon  said  that  she  wished  to  stay 
away  from  us,  that  she  might  have  an  uninterrupted 
opportunity  to  think  of  the  present,  religious  state  of 
the  family.  It  was  a  relief  to  her  feelings  that  she 
was  not  saying  any  thing  to  us  that  would  harden  our 
hearts  and  prove  a  savor  of  death  unto  death.  She 
could  pray  for  us  without  doing  this.  But  she  desired 
to  return  that  she  might  find  others  to  pray  also.  She 
could  not  ask  any  particular  individual  to  pray,  any 
more  than  when  she  sought  to  find  the  missionary 
teacher,  lest  she  should  not  ask  the  right  one.  If  any 
had  a  heart  to  pray,  she  did  hope  they  would  do  so, 
that  we  might  not  separate  from  one  another  without  a 
rich  blessing.  In  the  ordinary  course  of  events,  the 
first  of  the  year  is  the  period  for  fixing  impressions,  — 

16 


182  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

then  is  the  precious  revival  season,  if  at  all,  usually  ; 
and  the  summer  term  the  time  to  stamp  the  last  im- 
press for  eternity  to  many.  That  is  the  sifting  time  ; 
the  chaff  is  separated  from  the  wheat ;  Christians 
are  built  up  ;  and  those  who  are  not  Christians  yield  to 
the  temptations  which  then  abound." 

In  the  afternoon  general  exercise,  she  left  the  ordi- 
nary class  of  topics,  and  spoke  upon  religious  sorrow. 
She  said :  "  We  know  that  t'here  is  a  connection  be- 
tween religious  sorrow  and  spiritual  blessings,  though 
we  know  not  why  it  is.  If  there  were  no  need  of  the 
blessing,  there  would  be  no  need  of  the  sorrow.  But 
the  Christian  must  commence  his  work  in  sorrow,  and 
it  follows  him  all  the  way  along." 

On  Friday  morning  the  10th,  Mrs.  P.  says : 
"  Miss  Lyon  read  the  account  of  Abraham's  praying 
for  Sodorn ;  compared  it  to  a  weight  thrown  into  a 
scale,  which  would  have  turned  in  the  wicked  city's 
favor  if  ten  righteous  persons  had  been  found  in  it." 
Oh !  how  Miss  Lyon  now  watched  that  suspended 
scale ;  and  prayer  after  prayer  was  cast  in  till  the  bless- 
ing came  most  richly.  The  Sabbath  was  a  day  of  in- 
terest, and  when  Miss  Lyon  invited  those  who  had  in- 
dulged hope  since  the  commencement  of  the  school- 
year  to  meet  her,  fourteen  came  together.  She  rejoiced 
over  them,  but  the  burden  of  her  cry  was  for  those  out 
of  the  ark  of  safety  ;  and  the  first  time  she  met  her 


SIXTH  TO   THE    TENTH  YEAR.  183 

pupils  after  the  Sabbath,  it  was  to  speak  of  Christ  sor- 
rowing and  praying.  Christians  felt,  as  they  listened  to 
her,  that  they  were  almost  strangers  to  sympathy  with 
Christ  in  his  sorrow  for  a  world.  They  went  away  to 
pray  more.  Miss  Lyon  was  now  partially  laid  aside 
from  labor,  but  it  was  to  pray ;  and  though  suffering 
she  still  met  the  anxious  every  day. 

The  results  of  the  work  of  grace  which  followed  are 
given  in  the  following  letter  to  Mrs.  Banister  :  — 

"  April  13,  1843. 

"  I  hoped  I  should  have  quite  a  large  part  of  this 
sheet  to  tell  you  what  the  Lord  hath  wrought  for  us 
since  I  last  wrote  you.  I  believe,  just  at  the  time 
that  I  sent  my  last  letter,  a  cloud  of  mercy  was  gath- 
ering over  our  heads,  and  a  few  drops  had  fallen 
upon  us.  The  cloud  had  so  long  been  gathering,  and 
so  gently,  that  we  scarcely  knew  it ;  but  soon  the 
windows  of  heaven  were  opened,  and  the  blessing 
descended,  so  that  there  was  scarcely  room  in  our 
minds  or  hearts  to  receive  it.  When  I  returned 
from  Boston,  there  were  a  few  more  than  fifty  with- 
out hope.  In  about  three  weeks,  all  but  six  expressed 
some  hope  that  they  had  found  the  Saviour ;  in  a 
single  week  of  this  time,  more  than  thirty  of  the 
number. 

"  In  all  my  privileged  experience  connected  with 
the  work  of  the  Spirit,  this,  I  think,  has  been  of  un- 


131  RKCOLLECTJONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

paralleled  rapidity ;  and  yet  I  have  never  witnessed 
more  quietness  and  stillness  than  in  its  progress,  or 
any  less  of  what  some  call  reaction  to  be  watched 
against  in  the  result.  It  has  seemed  like  a  sudden, 
powerful  shower  bursting  upon  us,  but  descending  with 
so  much  gentleness  that  not  a  leaf  or  twig  among  the 
tender  plants  is  turned  out  of  its  place,  and  then  so 
suddenly  giving  way  to  the  beautiful  sun  and  refresh- 
ing dews.  But,  as  teachers,  we  have  a  great  work 
to  cherish  these  tender  plants.  Shall  we  not  have 
your  prayers  ?  Oh,  to  follow  Christ  in  the  work  of 
cherishing  them  is  what  I  want !  This  desire  enters 
almost  daily  into  the  very  depths  of  my  soul  with  an 
untold  and  unwonted  strength." 

The  effects  of  this  revival  of  1843  were  very  marked 
upon  Christians.  Some  choice  spirits  went  forth  to 
bless  the  world,  and  there  were  many  who  then  re- 
ceived a  quickening,  which  led  them  to  labor  most 
faithfully  in  the  seminary  that  year  and  while  they 
were  connected  with  it.  An  account  of  a  prayer-meet- 
ing, written  by  one  of  the  young  ladies  at  the  time, 
shows  something  of  their  feelings.  It  occurred  near 
the  close  of  the  year,  and  was  a  meeting  at  which 
teachers  were  not  usually  present.  She  says:  "In 
our  little  Sabbath  morning  circle  Miss  Lyon  said  much 
of  the  importance  and  privilege  of  having  that  well  of 


SIXTH  TO  THE  TENTH  YEAR.         185 

water  within  us,  of  which  Jesus  spake,  springing  up 
into  eternal  life.  *  We  ought  to  attain  to  that  standard 
of  piety  set  before  us  in  the  gospel,  and  ever  be  en- 
abled to  say  :  "  I  will  do  either  this  or  that,  whichever 
may  seem  most  likely  to  promote  God's  glory."  We 
may  be  called  to  honor  him  by  patient  suffering,  or  in 
some  prominent  station,  or  in  some  humble,  obscure  sta- 
tion. But  we  may  have  that  state  of  mind  in  which 
our  first  thought  in  making  any  change  of  circum- 
stances will  be,  not  will  it  promote  my  own  happiness, 
(God  can  make  any  situation  happy),  but  will  it  be 
most  for  God's  glory  ?  '  The  minds  of  all  the  circle 
seemed  to  have  been  directed  to  the  attainment  of  a 
high  degree  of  holiness,  and  Miss  Lyon  remarked  that 
there  might  be  some  design  of  Providence  in  thus 
directing  our  thoughts.  And  she  added :  '  It  is  a 
means  of  grace  to  be  accustomed  to  seek  and  watch  the 
guidance  of  Providence.'  " 

About  thirty-five  became  Christians  during  this 
year,  and  there  was  a  delightful  state  of  religious  inter- 
est to  the  close. 

The  next  year,  that  of  1844-5,  by  some  mistake 
too  many  were  received,  —  the  house  was  crowded. 
There  was  much  external  prosperity,  but  only  about 
twelve  hopeful  conversions.  Much  prayer  was  offered 
for  those  out  of  Christ.  One  of  the  teachers  in  re- 
viewing the  year  has  said :  "  It  was  not  answered  in 

16* 


RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYOX. 

the  conversion  of  many  of  the  impenitent,  but  who 
shall  say  that  it  did  not  avail  much  ?  There  were 
blessed  restraining  influences  thrown  around  us  that 
were  entirely  from  God." 

Miss  Lyon  said  of  herself,  during  that  year :  "  My 
sun  has  already  gone  beyond  the  meridian  of  my  use- 
fulness. I  feel  that  my  work  is  almost  done.  The 
effort  of  raising  my  voice  teaches  me  that  it  can  con- 
tinue but  a  little  longer.  If  I  say  any  thing  which  will 
lead  you  to  live  such  a  life  as  you  would  wish  to  live, 
to  die  such  a  death  as  you  would  wish  to  die,  and 
to  fit  you  for  such  an  eternity  as  you  would  wish  to 
enjoy,  treasure  it  up.  It  often  seems  to  me,  that  I  am 
giving  you  my  last  legacy." 

A  teacher  wrote  the  September  after  the  year  closed  : 
u  God  was  merciful  to  us ;  for  though  he  sent  us  so 
large  a  number,  they  were  as  a  school  disposed  to  do 
right,  and  to  be  studious,  so  that  our  work  was  much 
lightened.  The  year  has  been  a  very  pleasant  one. 
We  have  lacked  but  one  thing,  the  presence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  by  his  converting  influences.  The  blessed 
effects  upon  the  few  who  felt  his  power  only  made  us 
feel  our  need  the  more.  It  was  sad  to  see  so  many 
go  away  without  the  love  of  Christ  in  their  heart. 
May  the  Spirit  of  God  follow  them  !  Oh,  what  a 
work  it  is  to  watch  for  souls,  —  to  feel  that  one  is  ex- 
erting an  influence  upon  them  for  eternity  !  I  think  I 


SIXTH  TO   Till:    TKSTll  1' EAR.  187 

do  desire  to  do  the  will  of  God, —  to  be  found  in  just  the 
place,  and  doing  just  what  he  appoints.  But  I  can  do 
nothing  without  the  blessing  of  God.  May  a  rich 
blessing  from  him  rest  upon  our  school  the  coming 
year.  If  we  can  have  that,  it  will  be  enough,  what- 
ever else  may  betide." 

Those  teachers  were  observing  a  concert  of  prayer 
during  all  their  long  vacation,  and  asking,  to  use  the 
words  of  one  of  their  number,  "  if  they  might  be 
counted  worthy  to  once  more  point  souls  to  Christ." 
Watching  and  praying,  there  came  a  blessing.  The 
school  year  opened,  and,  as  early  as  the  first  week,  the 
special  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  manifest  in  the 
conversion  of  one  of  the  pupils.  During  the  first  term 
twenty  indulged  the  Christian  hope,  and  about  the 
same  number  later  in  the  year. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  this  year,  two  of  the  teachers, 
Mrs.  Howland  and  Mrs.  Webb,  left  the  country  for 
India  ;  another,  Mrs.  Pitkin,  entered  the  home  mission- 
ary field,  and  several  of  the  pupils  were  about  to  en- 
gage in  the  same  work.  After  mentioning  these  facts 
to  her  missionary  friend  in  Persia,  one  of  the  teachers 
writes  :  "  Do  you  not  think  that  dear  Miss  Lyon's 
heart  glows  with  sacred  joy  to  bring  to  the  altar  so 
valuable  missionary  offerings  ?  Her  cup  of  joy  was 
almost  full,  when  for  two  successive  years  our  contri- 
butions amounted  to  more  than  one  thousand  dollars ; 


188  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY    LYOX. 

but  how  much  more  she  rejoices  to  bring  her  loved  and 
efficient  daughters  and  give  them  to  the  work ! " 

Before  twelve  months  had  passed,  Miss  Lyon  was 
called  to  make  another  offering,  which  touched  her 
heart  as  no  other  one  had  done,  and  required  a  large 
measure  of  faith  and  resignation.  When  the  school 
came  together  in  1846,  the  places  of  three  of  the  teach- 
ers of  the  previous  year  were  occupied  by  strangers. 
Mrs.  Burgess  and  Mrs.  Hazen  were  on  their  way  to 
India,  and  Mrs.  Lord  was  soon  to  leave  her  native 
land  for  China.  One  of  these  had,  for  years,  stood  by 
Miss  Lyon  as  associate  principal,  and  was  considered  as 
almost  necessary  to  the  existence  of  the  school,  and  the 
others  could  not  easily  be  spared.  Miss  Lyon  was 
cheerful  in  all  these  changes,  but  when  she  told  the 
school  of  Miss  Moore's  (Mrs.  Burgess)  proposal  to 
leave  her,  she  could  only  compose  herself  by  asking  the 
young  ladies  to  sing,  "  God  moves  in  a  mysterious 
way." 

She  wrote  Mrs.  Banister  the  following  November: 
u  I  have  passed  through  many  scenes,  the  last  year,  of 
deep  and  tender  interest  to  me,  concentrating  the  feel- 
ings of  many  years  into  one,  and  obviously  increasing 
my  gray  hairs.  I  feel  the  loss  of  my  two  nieces 
socially  more  than  in  our  business,  though  both  were 
very  important  to  the  school." 

We  here  give  a  few  sentences  from    her   letters   to 


SIXTH    TO    THE   TENTH    YEAR.  189 

Mrs.  Burgess,  in  India,  which  show  with  what  warm 
affection  she  followed  her  friends  to  their  distant  homes. 

"•  May  10th,  1847.  —  Your  first  letter  arrived  Satur- 
day evening.  I  have  read  it  twice  with  tears  and  ten- 
der interest.  There  is  something  peculiar  in  the  feel- 
ing of  receiving  the  first.  Mr.  Condit  was  here  to- 
day. I  told  him  that  I  would  lend  it  to  him,  though  I 
did  not  expect  to  lend  the  original  to  but  very  few, 
because  I  wish  to  keep  it  just  as  long  as  I  live.  I  ex- 
pect to  read  it  many  times  when  I  am  musing  alone. 
Your  interest  in  remembering  me  is  a  great  personal 
comfort,  but  not  so  important  a  duty  for  you  as  many 
that  will  have  a  claim  upon  you  in  your  new  home. 
As  I  read  your  letter,  I  thought  you  might  like  to 
spell  out  my  blind  penmanship  now  and  then,  if  I 
should  write  nothing  more  than  the  little  things  which 
should  occur  to  me  from  day  to  day.  So  I  have  begun 
this  sheet,  and  shall  add  a  little  from  time  to  time  till 
it  is  full. 

"  It  is  now  vacation.  A  few  days  before  it  com- 
menced, Miss  Whitman  was  called  to  attend  the  funeral 
of  her  brother's  wife.  All  the  other  teachers  were  wish- 
ing to  go  away,  and  all  who  have  rendered  any  aid  in 
the  care  of  the  domestic  department  would  like  to  go,  too. 
So  I  said  at  once,  go.  Here  I  am,  lord  of  all  I  sur- 
vey, and  the  undoubted  mistress  of  all  the  departments 
in  the  establishment.  But  we  have  the  best  family  of 


190  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

nearly  fifty  which  could  be  had.  So  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, which  tempers  the  breeze  to  the  shorn  lamb, 
takes  care  of  me.  But  I  must  bid  you  good-night  and 
go  away  to  sleep.  May  guardian  angels  ever  watch 
around  your  pillow  !  ••  . 

"  May  21.  —  We  have  had  a  very  pleasant  vacation, 
though  I  have  been  exceedingly  busy.  I  had  consid- 
erable done  in  the  line  of  the  work  of  masons  and  car- 
penters, so  that  I  can  have  more  time  for  rest  and 
journeying  in  the  autumn.  One  afternoon,  I  invited 
the  young  ladies  to  a  sewing  party  to  repair  our 
church-cushions.  As  we  had  no  apples,  we  had 
oranges  and  raisins.  For  amusement,  we  gave  each 
an  opportunity,  taking  them  in  order  by  States,  to  give 
some  account  of  their  family.  Last  my  turn  came. 
In  my  account,  I  told  them  of  my  three  nephews,  that 
I  expect  soon  to  visit  me.  .  .  When  I  write  to  you 
and  receive  your  letters,  I  can  not  feel  that  I  shall 
never  see  you  again.  But  it  is  but  a  little,  short  way 
to  heaven,  —  short  to  both  of  us,  and  sure,  I  hope. 

"  June  15.  —  I  was  going  to  add  another  sheet  to 
this,  but  as  the  journal  is  going  this  morning,  I  will 
send  it  as  it  is.  My  health  all  the  first  part  of  the 
year  was  very  far  from  being  good.  I  suppose  I  am 
in  danger,  —  my  lungs  especially.  My  excitement 
about  giving  up  you  and  Lucy  might  have  done  some- 
thing to  lay  the  foundation.  But  I  have  not  had  the 


SIXTH   TO   THE  TENTH    YEAR.  301 

least  regret  that  you  have  gone,  though  my  heart 
clings  to  you  with  fond  and  increasing  interest.  You 
remember  I  was  not  in  good  health  last  summer.  I 
can  now  bear  more  than  I  could  a  year  ago.  May 
that  life  be  given  to  God." 

At  an  earlier  date  she  says :  "  I  have  many  things 
to  make  me  remember  that  my  home  is  not  a  per- 
manent one  here.  Last  year  how  many  of  my  kin- 
dred were  around  me !  Now  all  are  away  save  one. 
But  I  have  no  regret.  I  am  altogether  reconciled  to 
both  your  and  Lucy's  going.  The  remembrance  of 
the  years  you  both  spent  with  me  is  precious.  The 
communion  with  your  hearts  is  still  precious,  and 
especially  our  meeting  around  the  mercy-seat." 

Before  Miss  Moore  left  the  seminary,  Miss  Lyon 
wrote  as  follows  to  Miss  Fiske,  in  Persia  :  "  You  sympa- 
thize in  all  the  things  which  are  passing  among  us,  and 
especially  in  those  events  which  relate  to  the  missionary 
cause.  I  know  that  some  of  your  kind  friends  will  be 
sure  to  tell  you  that  Miss  Moore  is  really  going.  It  will 
surprise  you,  as  it  has  many  here.  The  first  question 
generally  is,  — '  What  does  Miss  Lyon  think  of  it  ? ' 
I  have  nothing  to  say  in  all  these  things,  only  to  ask 
that  the  will  of  the  Lord  may  be  done,  and  to  submit  to 
all  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  whether  with  or 
without  means  to  carry  out  our  plans.  This  is  certainly 
a  great  event  to  us,  especially  to  me.  My  only  wish 


102  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  .VARY  LYOX. 

concerning  it  is,  that  it  may  be  for  the  furtherance  of 
the  gospel.  "We  know  so  little  of  the  great  plans  of 
God,  that  it  is  wisest  and  safest  and  sweetest  to  leave 
all  with  him." 

Miss  Lyon  did  leave  all  with  him,  though  at  the 
commencement  of  the  school  year  in  October  every 
thing  in  regard  to  the  seminary  looked  very  dark. 
She  was  herself  laid  aside  by  ill-health.  Miss  Moore 
was  absent,  and  Miss  Whitman's  heart  sank  within 
her,  as  she  looked  upon  the  burden  of  responsibility 
thus  rolled  upon  her ;  but  she,  too,  could  look  upward, 
assured  that  miorht  would  be  increased  to  one  that  had 

o 

no  strength.  He  in  whom  they  trusted  did  not  disap- 
point them.  Miss  Lyon  was  able  to  speak  to  the  school 
but  few  times  during  the  first  term.  Rev.  Mr.  Hawks 
conducted  the  daily  morning  exercises,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Condit,  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  the  village,  with  his 
usual  readiness  to  aid,  came  into  the  seminary,  and 
attended  a  meeting  on  Thursday  evening,  for  several 
weeks,  embracing  the  whole  school.  The  labors  of 
these  gentlemen  were  very  acceptable  to  the  young 
ladies,  and  were  much  blessed.  When  the  religious 
interest  commenced,  there  were  ninety  not  Christians 
in  the  family ;  sixty  of  these  had  just  entered  the  in- 
stitution, and  thirty  had  been  under  Miss  Lyon's  in- 
struction, some  for  one  and  others  for  two  years.  The 
coming  of  tin-  Spirit  was  like  a  rushing,  mighty  wind. 


SIXTH    TO    THE   70*777   YEARS.  193 

At  the  first  meeting  for  inquirers,  which  was  held  the 
second  week  in  December,  nineteen  were  present.  In 
a  few  days,  the  interest  became  so  deep  and  general 
that  it  seemed  impossible  to  give  the  usual  attention  to 
lessons,  and  a  day  was  set  apart  for  fasting  and  prayer. 
In  less  than  two  weeks  sixty  were  rejoicing  in  a  newly- 
found  Saviour.  A  band  of  youthful  Christians  from  the 
middle  class  were  particularly  zealous  in  their  prayers 
and  efforts  for  their  impenitent  companions  ;  and  their 
labors  were  not  in  vain.  Miss  Lyon  lived  but  two 
years  after  this  revival,  always  to  keep  fresh  the  mem- 
ory of  "  that  precious  middle  class." 

About  this  time,  a  teacher  of  much  promise  was 
obliged  to  leave,  on  account  of  failing  health  ;  and 
after  passing  a  few  weeks  with  her  friends,  she  entered 
the  mansions  above.  Miss  Lyon  had  anticipated  much 
from  her,  and  mourned  her  early  death ;  but,  with  her 
usual  spirit  of  submission,  she  said :  "  I  feel  that  it  is 
a  blessed  privilege  to  fit  dear  ones  for  heaven  ;  "  and 
added,  while  the  tears  coursed  down  her  cheeks  :  "  I 
thank  God  that  I  have  not  yet  heard  of  the  death  of 
any  pupil  of  this  beloved  seminary  without  hope  in 
Jesus.  If  any  have  thus  died,  I  have  been  spared  the 
trial  of  hearing  of  it." 

The  second  term  found  Miss  Lyon's  health  im- 
proved ;  but  still  she  was  not  able  to  take  the  entire 
charge  of  the  religious  exercises.  As  she  met  her 

17 


1U4  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYUN. 

school  January  22,  she  told  them,  that  while  she  could 
not  speak  to  them  every  day,  she  intended,  as  her 
strength  might  permit,  to  take  up  "  the  Christian's  duty 
and  privilege  in  regard  to  the  conversion  of  the  world." 
It  seemed  to  her  providential  that  she  had  been  unable 
to  take  up  the  subject  before ;  for  now  many  hearts, 
that  would  have  been  uninterested,  would  feel  very 
differently . 

The  year  1846  closed  with  twenty  still  wanting  the 
Christian  hope. 

During  the  vacation,  Miss  Lyon  was  deprived  of  the 
counsel  and  society  of  a  long-tried  friend  by  the  death 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Condit.  He  had  been  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  the  village  during  all  her  residence  in  South 
Hadley,  and  had  ever  stood  by  her,  sympathizing  with 
her  and  giving  her  aid  in  her  trials  and  perplexities, 
and  participating  in  her  joy  in  the  prosperity  of  her 
school.  She  thus  speaks  of  his  sickness,  in  a  letter  tc 
Mrs.  Burgess,  dated  September  10  :  "•  From  the  sadnes? 
of  my  heart  I  must  write  you  a  few  lines  this  evening 
Our  dear  Mr.  Condit  is  very  near  his  home  in  heaven. 
You  have  doubtless  been  informed  of  his  feeble  health 
the  summer  past.  He  has  not  been  able  to  preach,  — • 
has  been  to  church  but  one  half  day  for  many  months. 
,  I  have  seen  him  twice  since  my  return  from  New  Marl- 
boro'. The  king  of  terrors  is  approaching  with  slow 
and  gentle  step,  as  if  loth  to  take  his  prey  ;  but  he 


SIXTH   TO   THE    TENTH   YF.AR.  195 

approaches  nearer  and  nearer.  Here  I  am  alone  in 
this  great  building ;  no  one  near  to  interrupt  my  grief. 
I  love  even  this  solitude  for  my  tears  and  my  prayers 
in  his  behalf.  The  years,  of  our  acquaintance  pass  in 
rapid  review  before  my  mind.  As  I  dwell  on  him  as 
a  friend,  a  Christian,  a  counselor,  a  pastor,  sadness 
spreads  a  dark  pall  over  my  whole  soul.  And  yet  it  is 
not  all  sorrow.  Heaven  seems  to  be  opening  her 
gates  in  waiting  readiness  to  receive  another  servant  of 
Christ,  another  redeemed  soul,  another  glorified  saint 
into  its  blest  abode." 

The  year  1847-8  passed  pleasantly  and  prosperously. 
The  changes  which  Miss  Moore's  departure  made  nec- 
essary had  been  effected.  Miss  Lyon's  health  had 
improved  so  that  she  was  able  to  be  in  school  regularly. 
The  influence  of  the  revival  of  the  previous  year  was 
favorably  felt  in  the  consistent  lives  of  the  converts  ; 
and  cases  of  seriousness  among  the  impenitent  early 
occurred.  Between  fifty  and  sixty  found  hope  in  the 
mercy  of  Christ  during  the  year ;  and  Miss  Lyon  re- 
marked near  its  close  that  "  the  Holy  Spirit  had  never 
tarried  so  long  with  them  by  his  converting  influences." 
In  May  of  this  year  Miss  Lyon  was  called  to  stand  by 
the  dying  bed  of  one  of  her  pupils  and  cheer  her  by 
pointing  to  Christ  as  she  went  down  to  the  dark  valley. 
The  following  letter  to  Mi's.  Porter  gives  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  circumstances  :  — 


196  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MARY   LYON. 

"  SOUTH  HADLEY,  May  28,  1848. 

"  Now  I  must  tell  you  of  the  dealings  of  our  heav- 
enly Father  with  us.  Death  has  again  entered  our 
family,  and  taken  home  one  of  the  dear  lambs  of 
Christ's  fold.  The  attending  circumstances  relating  to 
this  world  were  rather  peculiarly  trying ;  but  to  an- 
other world  they  were  all  consoling,  comforting,  joyful. 
The  dear  one  was  Emily  Washburn,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Washburn,  of  Suffield,  Conn.,  seventeen  years  of 
age,  a  most  lovely  character  and  exemplary  Christian. 
She  was  almost  the  idol  of  her  devoted  parents.  One 
week  ago  last  Wednesday  she  attended  the  recess 
meeting  and  led  in  prayer ;  and  the  next  Wednesday 
morning,  at  four  o'clock,  she  entered  heaven,  as  we 
trust.  Thus  rapid  were  the  ravages  of  death.  Her 
parents  were  away  on  a  journey.  The  intelligence 
could  not  reach  them  so  that  they  could  arrive  before 
her  death.  A  particular  friend  of  theirs  came  on,  as 
soon  as  he  learned  of  her  sickness,  and  stayed  and  took 
home  the  remains.  They  were  sent  away  by  railroad 
at  twelve  o'clock  of  the  same  day.  From  that  time 
till  Friday  noon,  I  can  not  tell  you  how  my  heart 
trembled,  at  every  ringing  of  the  bell,  at  the  antici- 
pated meeting  with  the  father  and  mother.  Friday 
noon,  the  mother  arrived.  She  hastened  in  the  public 
conveyance  before  her  husband,  as  he  was  with  his 
own  carriage.  God  helped  me  to  tell  her,  and  sus- 


S:\Tff  TO  TlIK    7Y..Y7Y/    YJ'AK.  197 

tallied  her  under  the  stroke.  I  will  some  time  tell  you 
of  the  precious  words  and  last  prayer  of  the  dying  one. 
When  asked  what  message  she  would  leave  for  her 
father  and  mother,  she  said  :  '  Tell  them  that  Jesus 
called  me,  and  I  could  not  wait  for  them ;  for  Christ 
says,  "  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than 
me  is  not  worthy  of  me."  :  So  grace  has  again  tri- 
umphed over  sin,  and  another  redeemed  spirit  has  gone 
home." 

The  morning  after  Miss  Washburn's  death,  Miss 
Lyon's  theme,  in  addressing  the  school,  was  the  great 
salvation.  She  spoke  of 'the  difficulty  she  always 
found  in  communicating  any  just  views  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  added  :  "  No  one  knows  how  often  or  how 
greatly  I  have  been  bowed  down  with  this  burden,  so 
that  I  could  only  exclaim,  '  Oh  that  God  would 
speak ! '  and  now  he  has  spoken  to  us.  It  is  not  so 
much  a  voice  of  warning  addressed  to  us,  as  an  invita- 
tion ;  not  a  voice  from  the  tomb,  but  from  heaven. 
We  have  been  led  very  near  to  heaven  ;  the  very 
gates  have  been  opened,  and  are  now  scarcely  shut. 
Through  them  we  have  been  permitted  to  see  Jesus. 
He  has  himself,  through  one  of  his  members,  been 
speaking  to  us  in  melting  tones  of  persuasion  and  love. 
He  has  given  us  an  impressive  lesson  on  his  great  sal- 
tation. And  now  I  entreat  you,  '  give  heed  to  the 


198  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYON. 

things  you  have  heard,  lest  at  any  time  you  should  let 
them  slip.' ' 

Many  of  the  extracts  from  Miss  Lyon's  letters  show 
with  what  tender  sympathy  she  entered  into  the 
feelings  of  those  in  affliction.  We  give  here  a  letter 
from  Mrs.  Porter,  which  speaks  more  fully  of  this  trait 
in  her  character :  "  Learning,  while  in  Boston  last 
week,  that  reminiscences  of  Miss  Mary  Lyon  were 
being  recorded,  my  thoughts  have  reverted  much  to  the 
thirteen  years  I  was  favored  with  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  this  dear,  faithful  follower  of  Jesus. 

"  Others  will  speak  of  her  superior  powers  of  mind, 
her  intellectual  attainments,  the  Bible  type  of  her 
piety,  aptness  for  imparting  instruction,  and  great  busi- 
ness talents ;  but  my  mind  dwells  more  especially  on 
the  sympathizing  qualities  of  her  heart.  It  is  so  sel- 
dom these  traits  are  combined  with  great  energy  of 
character,  a  ruling  mind,  and  the  designing  and  ac- 
complishing plans  of  magnitude,  that  it  was  the  impres- 
sion of  many,  not  intimately  acquainted  with  Miss 
Lyon,  that  she  might  be  deficient  in  gentleness  and 
appreciation  of  the  sorrows  and  feebleness  of  others. 
It  is  a  great  mistake.  Two  years  after  our  first  intro- 
duction to  Miss  Lyon,  death  was  commissioned  to 
enter  our  family  and  take  from  us  a  daughter  thirteen 
years  of  age,  —  the  last  of  four  children.  Miss  Lyon 
had  been  much  in  our  family  for  a  year  and  a  half, 


SIXTH    TO   THE  TENTH  YEAR.  199 

t 

and  knew  what  she  was  to  us.  In  the  large  circle  of 
relatives  and  friends  who  sympathized  so  deeply  with 
us  in  this  sore  bereavement,  none  seemed  more  affec- 
tionately, sincerely,  softly  to  come  into  the  depths  of 
the  sorrows  of  our  stricken  hearts,  than  Miss  Lyon. 

"  In  other  cases  I  have  repeatedly  witnessed  her  ten- 
der sympathy.  .When  her  beloved  pastor,  Mr.  Condit, 
was  borne  to  the  grave,  how  did  her  flowing  tears 
evince  the  fountain  of  grief  in  her  soul  ;  and  how  was 
the  bereaved  widow  cared  for,  and  sympathized  with  in 
the  tenderest  manner.  Once  I  called  with  her  on  an 
aged  clergyman,  with  whom  she  was  but  slightly  ac- 
quainted, who  had  recently  buried  a  lovely  daughter 
on  whom  he  leaned  much  for  support.  The  readiness 
with  which  she  entered  into  his  sorrows,  and  sought  to 
direct  his  mind  to  sources  of  consolation,  impressed  my 
mind  deeply,  as  I  knew  that  just  at  that  time  she 
was  unusually  burdened  with  cares  and  perplexi- 
ties relative  to  her  beloved  institution.  '  Do  you  not 
think,  dear  sir,'  said  she,  '  that  we  should  reflect  much 
on  the  goodness  of  God,  that  these  severe  cases  of  dis- 
cipline and  grief  are  the  rare  exceptions,  and  not  the 
general  experience,  of  our  lives  ?  Death,  I  learn,  has 
repeatedly  entered  your  family  and  removed  those 
most  dear  ;  but  how  many  years  of  prosperity  have 
passed  between  those  scenes  !  Then,  and  but  a  little 
while  and  in  a  brighter  world,  all  this  will  be  rejoiced 


200  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

over,  when  we  see  fully  that  it  was  all  ordered  in  the 
best  time  and  manner." 

"  In  no  case  was  sympathy  ever  expressed  because 
circumstances  seemed  to  require  it,  but  to  flow  forth 
from  a  full  soul,  that  '  mourned  with  those  that 
mourned.'  The  permanent  invalid  found  in  her  one 
that  could  realize  how  severe  the  affliction  of  pro- 
tracted debility  and  disease,  and  receive  from  her 
the  most  considerate  attention  and  sympathy.  What 
watchful  care  she  would  uniformly  exercise  when  in 
our  family  to  relieve  me  of  any  exertion  on  her  ac- 
count, saying  frequently :  '  If  I  can  not  bear  your 
burdens,  do  let  me  add  to  them  as  little  as  possible.' 
At  times  she  would  gently  press  in  her  hands  my  ach- 
ing head  and  say :  '  I  fear  you  will  never  have  a 
better  head  on  earth,  but  in  heaven  the  "  head  will 
be  no  more  sick  nor  the  heart  faint."  Your  kind 
heavenly  Father  knows  just  how  much  it  is  best  you 
should  suffer  here.' ' 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Siehiuss  anb  £j*a:tr. 


DECLINING  HEALTH  —  HEK   KELINQUISHMENT  OF  HOUSE-KEEPING  CARES 

—  VISIT    TO    MONSON  —  SICKNESS    AND     DEATH    OK    MISS    W. —  LAST 
ADDBESS  TO   HER  SCHOOL  —  HER    ILLNESS  AND   WEAKNESS  —  VISIT  OF 
KEV.  MR.  SWIFT  —  COMMENCEMENT  OF  DELIRIUM  —  HER  LAST  WORDS 

—  DEATH  —  FUNERAL  —  PROGRESS    OF     THE    SEMINARY    SINCE     MISS 
LYON'S   DECEASE. 


I^ROM  Miss  Lyon's  frequent  allusions  to  the  shortness 
of  life,  in  her  advancing  years,  it  would  seem  as  if 
she  realized  that  the  work  her  Master  had  for  her  here 
on  the  earth  was  nearly  accomplished  ;  but  to  her  friends 
she  appeared  to  have  the  prospect  of  years  of  useful- 
ness before  her.  With  the  exception  of  a  little  deaf- 
ness, the  hand  of  time  rested  lightly  upon  her,  and  she 
entered  with  as  much  life  and  energy  into  whatever 
was  brought  before  her  as  in  her  younger  years.  As 
the  house-keeping  department  was  a  peculiar  feature 
in  her  institution,  she  desired  to  make  the  conveniences 
for  it  as  complete  as  possible.  This  led  her  repeated- 
ly to  alter  the  arrangements  of  the  domestic  hall,  and 
so  frequently  had  it  been  done  that  it  had  become  a 

(201) 


202  RECOLLECTIONS   OF    MARY  L YON. 

subject  of  remark  with  some  of  her  friends.  During 
the  vacation  in  the  months  of  August  and  September 
of  1848,  the  workmen  were  kept  very  busy  in  that 
room,  and  it  was  essentially  remodeled. 

When  her  teachers  returned,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  school  year,  Miss  Lyon  took  them  down  to  the 
room,  one  after  another,  and  showed  them  what  had 
been  done.  After  explaining  the  reasons  for  her  alter- 
ations, she  said  :  "  These  arrangements  are  now  as 
perfect  as  I  can  make  them.  I  shall  never  change 
them  again.  My  time  and  strength  are  now  to  be 
given  more  fully  to  the  literary  department." 

She  gave  over  the  house-keeping  cares  as  she  had 
never  before  done,  and  professedly  turned  her  atten- 
tion to  the  studies  of  her  pupils ;  but  in  reality  their 
spiritual  interests  occupied  the  larger  portion  of  her 
thoughts.  Miss  Whitman's  failing  health  compelled 
her  to  seek  rest  soon  after  the  school  was  organized, 
and,  with  only  the  younger  teachers  to  aid  her,  an 
unusual  burden  of  care  rested  upon  Miss  Lyon  ;  but 
strength  was  given  her  to  meet  it.  Her  health  was 
good,  and  never  did  she  manifest  more  enthusiasm  in 
her  plans  for  the  improvement  of  her  pupils,  never  did 
she  present  truth  with  more  life  and  power,  never  with 
more  unction  and  pathos  than  during  this  winter. 
She  noticed  this  increased  vigor,  and  one  day  said  to 
some  of  her  teachers :  "  I  don't  know  why  it  is  that 


S/CKXXSS   AND   DEATH.  203 

my  mind  is  so  active.     It  sometimes  seems  to  me  that 
I  am  doing  my  last  work." 

At  the  close  of  the  first  term,  she  went  to  Monson 
to  spend  the  vacation  of  two  weeks  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Porter.  Of  this  visit,  Mrs.  Porter  gives  the 
following  interesting  account :  — 

"  When  at  the  seminary  on  the  Thanksgiving  occa- 
sion previous  to  her  death,  I  said  to  Miss  Lyon :  '  You 
know  an  invitation  to  spend  your  vacations  with  us  is 
stereotyped  ;  may  we  not  expect  you  in  the  winter 
vacation  ? '  She  replied  :  '  I  think  I  shall  come  previ- 
ous to  vacation,  and  rest,  for  circles  are  so  broken  up 
then,  that  it  is  more  difficult  getting  along  than  in  the 
term  time.'  She  came,  however,  in  that  vacation  ;  and, 
the  first  evening  after  she  arrived,  she  told  me,  4  that 
what  decided  her  to  come  after  concluding  she  should 
remain  at  the  seminary  during  vacation  was,  she  had 
never  felt  the  responsibility  of  giving  religious  instruc- 
tion as  this  winter.  Oh,  when  I  come  before  those 
young  immortals  to  teach  them  eternal  truths,  I  am 
borne  down  with  a  sense  of  its  importance  as  never 
before,  and  I  wanted  to  come  to  my  Testing-home '  (as 
she  was  wont  to  call  our  house),  '  where,  in  that  quiet 
chamber,  I  could  seek  anew  for  wisdom,  grace,  and 
strength  for  the  great  work.' 

"  The    teachers,    she   said,    were    very    urgent    she 


204  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOX. 

should  go  to  New  York  to  sit  for  her  portrait,  —  so 
much  so,  that  she  was  reluctant  not  to  comply  with 
their  kind  request,  and  accept  of  their  generous  offer 
to  bear  all  the  expense.  '  But  to  me,'  she  added,  '  it 
seemed  of  so  little  consequence  to  have  my  picture 
taken,  compared  with  seeking  a  better  preparation  for 
my  important  duties,  that  I  could  not  comply.' 

"  Every  thing  in  her  conversation  and  appearance 
indicated  a  '  fresh  anointing.'  All  business  with  re- 
gard to  the  seminary  was  laid  aside.  Previously,  she 
had  invariably  come  with  account  books,  and  a  list  of 
various  items  of  business  to  consult  Mr.  Porter  about ; 
and,  as  soon  as  he  came  in,  business  was  the  theme. 
Now  she  introduced  no  subject  of  business  but  twice 
during  her  stay,  and  one  of  those  times  said  but  a  few 
words. 

"  Mr.  Porter  said  to  me  on  Sabbath  eve  (she  came 
the  Friday  previous),  '  Does  not  Miss  Lyon  seem 
unusually  spiritual  ?  '  I  replied,  '  I  think  so,  evident- 
ly ;  I  never  saw  her  so  heavenly-minded.'  Little  did 
I  then  think  she  was  pluming  her  wings  for  her  up- 
ward flight.  She  appeared  as  well  as  I  ever  saw  her, 
and  repeatedly  spoke  with  gratitude  of  her  excellent 
health.  At  our  dinner-table,  a  day  or  two  previous  to 
her  leaving,  she  remarked,  playfully, '  Mr.  Porter,  you 
and  Mrs.  Porter  have  been  afraid  I  should  break  down 
at  the  seminary,  but '  (dropping  her  knife  and  fork, 


SfCKXESS  AND  DEATH.  205 

and  straightening  up),  '  Do  you  not  think  I  am  in  pretty 
good  trim  ?  I  have  an  excellent  appetite ;  I  sleep  like 
a  child,  and  have  none  of  that  chiHiness  I  have  had 
when  rather  exhausted  with  my  labors.  I  feel  quite 
vigorous.'  We  both  told  her  we  thought  we  had  not 
-seen  her  better,  and  the  conclusion  of  us  all  was,  that 
she  had  as  good  a  prospect  of  physical  ability  to  labor 
on  at  the  seminary  for  ten  years  to  come  as  for  the 
past  ten  years. 

"  When  she  left  us,  I  felt,  more  than  ever  before, 
that  it  was  a  rare  privilege  to  enjoy  her  personal 
friendship,  and  have  her  so  frequently  an  inmate  of 
our  family.  Ever  since  my  first  acquaintance  with 
Miss  Lyon,  I  had  thought  I  had  never  seen  the 
blessed  principles  and  precepts  of  the  gospel  of  Christ 
so  strikingly  exemplified  in  any  of  his  professed  follow- 
ers. But  on  account  of  her  active  business  habits,  and 
constantly  planning  for  improvements  in  her  beloved 
seminary,  I  had  not  seen  exhibited  that  contemplative, 
devotional  state  of  mind  which  was  developed  in  this 
visit.  There  was  evinced  an  absorbing  love  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  ;  Christ  was  her  theme,  and  the  privilege 
of  laboring  for  him,  and  making  sacrifices  for  his  cause, 
dwelt  on  much.  I  think  I  have  never  witnessed  a 
nearer  approach  to  the  mercy-seat  than  was  apparent 
in  social  prayer  just  before  leaving.  It  was  almost  the 
last  sound  of  her  voice  I  ever  he  ird." 

18 


233  RECOLLECTIONS    OF    MARY    LYOX. 

While  thus  seeking  after  intimate  communion  with 
her  Saviour,  and  new  views  of  his  love,  that  she  might 
be  more  successful  in  her  efforts  to  win  sinners  to  his 
fold,  she  was  putting  her  house  in  order,  and  preparing 
to  enter  into  fullness  of  joy  and  blessedness  with  him. 
Three  weeks  after  the  school  assembled  for  the  second 
term  of  the  year,  Miss  W.,  a  pupil  from  Ware,  N.  H., 
died  under  trying  circumstances.  She  had  been  con- 
fined to  her  room  for  a  few  days  by  influenza,  then 
quite  prevalent  in  school,  but  had  so  far  recovered  as 
to  be  able  to  go  out  to  her  recitations,  when  her  sick- 
ness returned,  assuming  the  form  of  malignant  erysipe- 
las. The  disease  made  rapid  progress,  so  that  Miss 
Lyon  had  only  just  learned  that  her  ptipil  was  again 
sick,  when  it  was  told  her  that  she  could,  probably, 
live  but  a  short  time. 

Miss  Lyon  was  suffering  at  the  time  from  influenza 
and  a  severe  nervous  headache,  and  was  in  the  right 
state  to  feel  most  keenly  the  trying  nature  of  her  posi- 
tion. She  hastened  to  the  bedside  of  her  dying  pupil, 
regardless  of  exposure  to  her  disease ;  spoke  words  of 
comfort  to  her,  and  bent  over  her  to  catch,  if  possible, 
her  replies.  Then  the  painful  intelligence  must  be 
communicated  to  Miss  W.'s  parents  who  had  not  as 
yet  heard  of  her  first  illness.  The  next  day  was  the 
last  Thursday  in  February,  —  the  fast  for  literary  in- 
stitutions ;  a  day  that  had  been  looked  forward  to  with 


S/CKXESS  AND   DEATH.  2^7 

earnest  solicitude  that  it  might  be  blessed  to  the  fam- 
ily. With  these  anxieties  upon  her  mind,  Miss  Lyon 
passed  a  sleepless  night,  and  was  able  to  say  but  a  few 
words  to  her  school  on  Thursday. 

On  Friday  she  was  better.  Miss  W.  still  lin- 
gered in  an  unconscious  state  ;  but  there  was  much  ex- 
citement among  the  pupils  from  the  sudden  approach 
of  death,  and  the  fearful  disease  that  had  appeared  in 
the  midst  of  them.  Miss  Lyon  met  her  school  both 
morning  and  afternoon,  and  spoke  to  them  her  last 
precious  words,  —  words  which  seemed  at  the  time  to 
come  from  one  upon  whom  the  beams  of  heavenly 
light  were  already  shining.  She  entreated  her  pupils 
with  great  earnestness  to  turn  their  thoughts  from 
the  things  about  them,  and  follow  the  dying  one  up  to 
the  "  celestial  city,  and,  as  its  pearly  gates  opened  to 
receive  her,  look  in  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  its  glories." 
With  a  rapture  not  of  earth  she  exclaimed  :  "  Oh,  if  it 
were  I,  how  happy  I  should  be  to  go  ! "  but  added : 
"  Not  that  I  would  be  unclothed  while  I  can  do  any 
thing  for  you,  my  dear  children."  She  spoke  to  the 
impenitent  in  an  impressive  manner,  saying,  with  great 
tenderness  :  "  If  one  of  you  were  on  that  dying  bed,  I 
could  not  take  your  hand  and  go  with  you  dowrn  to 
that  world  of  despair.  It  would  be  too  painful  for  me. 
I  should  feel  that  I  must  draw  the  veil  and  leave  you." 
She  besought  them  to  make  the  Saviour  their  friend  at 


208  RECOLLECTIONS    OF    MARY  LYON. 

once,  not  because  they  feared  death,  but  because  he  is 
a  being  of  such  infinite  perfection. 

She  read  passages  from  the  Bible,  which  speak  of  the 
fear  of  God,  and  remarked  upon  them.  She  looked 
upon  all  anxiety  about  the  future  as  distrust  of  our  kind 
heavenly  Father,  and  asked :  "  Shall  we  fear  what  he 
is  about  to  do  ?  "  adding,  with  great  emphasis :  "  There 
is  nothing  in  the  universe  that  I  fear,  but  that  I  shall 
not  know  all  my  duty,  or  shall  fail  to  do  it." 

That  evening,  which  was  the  last  time  she  met  her 

O  * 

pupils  for  family  prayers,  she  read  2  Corinthians  v. 
She  went  from  the  table  very  soon  to  meet  the  sorrow- 
ing father  and  give  him  the  painful  details  of  his 
daughter's  illness,  —  then  to  go  with  him  to  that  daugh- 
ter's side,  and  see  the  happy  look  of  recognition  and 
unsuccessful  effort  to  speak.  Before  midnight  the  spirit 
had  entered  the  realms  of  bliss.  Miss  Lyon  had  ear- 
nestly desired  that  the  father  might  arrive  while  his 
child  was  yet  living,  and  now  said  she  was  "so 
filled  with  gratitude  to  God  for  his  goodness  in  this 
respect  that  she  could  not  rest." 

She  again  passed  a  sleepless  night,  and  met  her 
school  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  they  gath- 

*/       O 

ered  for  prayers,  before  the  remains  of  their  companion 
should  be  taken  away.  This  was  the  last  time  her 
voice  was  heard  in  the  school-room.  She  then  read  the 
hymn  commencing  — 


AXD   DEATH.  209 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departed  friends," 

saying  that  it  was  the  best  expression  she  could  give  of 
her  feelings. 

She  spent  Saturday  quietly  in  her  room,  sleeping 
much  of  the  time,  and  at  evening  appeared  refreshed  ; 
but  the  mail  brought  her  the  sad  intelligence  of  the 
death  of  a  nephew  by  suicide,  without  leaving  evidence 
of  his  being  a  Christian.  This  was  an  overwhelming 
blow  to  her,  and  the  night  was  one  of  deep  sorrow  and 
anguish.  On  Sabbath  morning  she  was  so  much  worse 
that  she  could  not  sit  up,  and  medical  advice  was 
sought.  She  was  very  much  prostrated,  and  could, 
make  little  mental  effort,  but  she  desired  the  friends 
who  sat  with  her  through  the  day  to  read  very  slowly 
hymns  or  passages  of  Scripture,  stopping  at  the  end  of 
each  line,  that  she  might  repeat  it  and  so  take  in  the 
meaning.  Many  hours  were  spent  in  thus  reading  the 
Psalms  or  the  precious  hymns  in  the  book  entitled 
"  Songs  in  the  Night."  When  any  thing  of  special 
interest  to  her  occurred,  she  would  repeat  it  several 
times. 

Monday  morning  found  her  still  worse,  and  it  was 
evident  to  the  anxious  friends  watching  by  her  side 
that  the  dreaded  erysipelas  had  fastened  itself  upon 
her.  It  was  not  of  the  malignant  type,  but  her 
peculiar  temperament,  her  constitution,  her  past  labors, 
18* 


210  RECOLLECTIONS   OF  MARY  LYON. 

and  the  nervous  excitement  from  which  she  was  sufivr- 
ing  when  taken,  made  the  case  one  of  great  danger. 
This  she  fully  realized,  but  it  caused  her  no  anxiety. 
Giving  up  her  solicitude  for  her  family,  she  occupied 
herself  as  she  was  able  with  thoughts  of  her  prepara- 
tion for  what  might  be  before  her.  She  desired  that 
there  might  be  no  more  change  in  her  attendants  than 
was  necessary  ;  that  only  those  should  be  allowed  to 
come  into  her  room  who  had  the  care  of  her ;  and, 
prompted  by  a  natural  aversion  to  being  gazed  upon 
from  curiosity,  added  that  it  would  distress  her  ex- 
^ceedingly,  at  any  time,  to  look  up  and  see  several  per- 
sons standing  in  the  doorway  or  about  the  room, 
though  they  might  be  very  dear  friends.  At  one  time, 
she  desired  pencil  and  paper  to  -be  brought,  that  she 
might  dictate  some  of  her  thoughts  in  regard  to  the 
school,  should  she  not  recover  ;  at  another,  to  leave  some 
message  for  a  nephew  in  whom  she  had  felt  a  deep  inter- 
est ;  but  in  both  cases  was  so  overpowered  by  her  disease 
as  to  be  able  to  give  but  one  sentence.  She  was  peace- 
ful and  happy,  often  repeating,  "  The  will  of  the  Lord 
be  done :  I  desire  to  be  spared  only  to  labor  for  him." 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swift,  of 
Northampton,  called  to  see  her.  at  her  request.  After  a 
little  conversation  with  him,  she  desired  Mr.  Swift  to 
read  a  short  portion  of  Scripture,  a  few  words  at  a 
time,  allowing  her  to  repeat  after  him,  and  pray. 


SICKXZSS  AXD   DEATH.  211 

When  Mrs.  Swift  went  to  her  bedside,  she  grasped  her 
hand  and  said :  "  It  is  good  to  look  at  you."  She 
spoke  of  her  sufferings,  and  remarked  that  the  physi- 
cians hoped  for  a  favorable  issue,  but  it  was  doubtful ; 
and  added  that  the  crisis  was  near,  and  if  the  result 
was  unfavorable,  she  had  very  little  time  left  in  which 
she  should  be  able  to  think.  "  Now,"  said  she,  "  I 
want  to  tell  you  how  it  is,  that  you  may  then  pray  for 
me.  If  I  ever  get  to  heaven,  it  will  be  the  greatest 
miracle  of  grace.  I  am  so  unworthy,  —  so  unworthy" 
And  then,  brightening  up,  she  said :  "  I  rejoice  to 
be  unworthy,  and  to  owe  it  all  to  the  atoning  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ."  She  might  have  said  more,  but  much 
was  depending  upon  her  being  kept  very  quiet,  and  it 
was  not  thought  best  to  tempt  her  to  tax  her  strength 
further.  After  Mrs.  Swift  had  repeatedly  expressed 
the  fear  that  she  would  weary  herself,  she  said : 
"  Well,  I  will  not  finish  the  sentence,"  and  bade  her 
good -by. 

A  few  hours  more,  and  delirium  came  on.  The 
force  of  the  disease  which  had  prostrated  her  seemed 
to  be  subsiding  on  Thursday  morning ;  but  the  ex- 
citement of  the  brain  increased,  and  congestion  fol- 
lowed. The  three  ensuing  days  were  very  painful 
ones,  not  only  to  the  sufferer,  but  to  those  about  hei. 
Sabbath  afternoon  she  became  quiet,  and  passed  the 
time  mostly  in  an  unconscious  state.  At  one  time  she 


212  RECOLLECTIONS    OF   MARY  LYON. 

called  her  nurse  to  her  side,  and  with  a  pleasant  smile 
said  to  her :  "  So  happy,  so  happy ! "  but  was  im- 
mediately wandering  again. 

At  another  time  she  said,  in  a  lucid  moment,  "  I 
should  love  to  come  back  and  watch  over  this  sem- 
inary. But  God  will  take  care  of  it." 

On  Monday  morning,  as  a  friend  entered  her  room, 
she  greeted  her  with  a  sweet  smile.  On  being  asked 
how  she  did,  she  replied :  "  Oh,  I  am  so  happy !  I 
am  the  happiest  of  the  happy.  I  only  wish  I  could 
find  words  to  express  my  happiness." 

Monday  evening,  Mr.  Laurie,  her  pastor,  came  in  to 
see  her.  His  voice  seemed  to  recall  her  to  conscious- 
ness for  a  little  time.  He  said  to  her :  "  Christ 
precious  ?  "  She  summoned  all  her  energies  to  make 
one  great  effort,  raised  both  hands,  clinched  them,  lifted 
her  head  from  her  pillow,  and  exclaimed  audibly  and 
with  emphasis,  "  Yes."  This  was  the  last  word  she 
uttered.  Short  passages  of  Scripture  were  repeated, 
and  her  countenance  showed  that  she  understood  and 
appreciated  them.  Those  which  related  to  the  glory 
of  God  seemed  to  interest  her  most.  She  repeatedly 
made  an  effort  to  speak,  but  without  success.  Seeing 
this,  Mr.  Laurie  said  to  her :  "  You  need  not  speak  ; 
God  can  be  glorified  in  silence."  An  indescribable 
smile  came  over  her  countenance  in  reply,  giving  her 
friends  very  precious  assurance  that  she  was  leaning  on 


SICKNESS   AND   DEATH.  213 

the  arm  of  the  Beloved  as  she  passed  through  the  dark 
valley.  An  hour  after,  she  had  reached  the  blissful 
shore,  —  had  joined  the  company  of  the  redeemed,  and 
been  introduced  amid  the  glories  which  she  had  so 
ardently  longed  to  behold. 

Thus  Mary  Lyon  was  not ;  for  her  God  had  taken 
her  to  himself,  even  as  he  did  Moses,  before  her  eye 
was  dim  or  her  natural  force  abated.  It  had  not  gone 
so  ill  with  her  at  Meribah  but  that  she  could  enter  tjie 
promised  land  ;  and  she  rests  in  the  inheritance  prom- 
ised her  in  the  holy  mount. 

The  funeral  was  attended  the  following  Thursday. 
Rev.  Mr.  Laurie  conducted  the  services  at  the  semi- 
nary. Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey  preached  a  sermon  in  the 
church  from  the  texts :  "  The  path  of  the  just  is  as 
the  shining  light,  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfect  day;"  "The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed." 
Rev.  Mr.  Harris  and  Rev.  Mr.  Swift  also  took  part  in 
the  exercises.  At  the  grave,  the  school  sung  the 
hymn  commencing,  "  Sister,  thou  wast  mild  and 
lovely." 

Her  remains  rest  in  a  little  enclosure  upon  the  sem- 
inary grounds ;  and  the  spot  is  marked  by  a  simple, 
massive  monument  of  Italian  marble. 

It  had  been  repeatedly  said  that  if  Miss  Lyon 
should  be  removed,  the  institution  she  had  founded 
must  change  its  character ;  and  it  did  seem,  for  a  time, 


214  RECOLLECTIONS   OF   MARY  LYON. 

to  those  bereaved  teachers  that  they  could  not  go  on 
without  her  upon  whose  counsel  they  had  leaned  so 
implicitly.  The  Lord  helped  them.  If  ever  his 
strength  was  made  perfect  in  weakness,  it  was  during 
the  months  that  followed  March  5th,  1849.  The  ex- 
citement in  school  was  calmed,  severe  disease  was 
stayed,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  was  with  them  by  his  re- 
straining, as  well  as  converting,  influences.  Though 
in  a  few  weeks  they  saw  another  of  their  band  called 
suddenly  to  lay  down  her  armor  and  enter  upon  her 
reward,  yet  blessings  were  multiplied  unto  them.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  they  could  ortiy  lift  up  their  hearts 
in  thankfulness  and  praise,  in  review  of  the  way  they 
had  been  led. 

That  summer  was  a  pledge  of  what  the  Lord  pur- 
posed still  to  do  for  the  institution  consecrated  to  him 
so  entirely  and  heartily  by  its  founder.  Nearly  six- 
teen years  have  passed  since  she  finished  life's  conflict ; 
but  his  hand  has  ever  been  over  it  for  good.  To-day 
finds  it  carrying  out  the  principles  upon  which  it  was 
established,  as  prosperously  as  when  she  left  it,  and 
with  a  larger  number  of  pupils.  It  is  no  longer 
looked  upon  as  an  experiment  and  with  suspicion  ;  but 
it  has  a  name  and  an  important  place  among  the  edu- 
cational institutions  of  our  land.  Two  seminaries  es- 
tablished in  Ohio  upon  similar  principles  are  under 
the  direction  of  Holyoke  graduates,  and  are  very  pros- 


S/CKXXSS  AND    DEATH.  21-5 

porous.  The  girls'  school  in  Orooraiah  is  also  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mount  Holyoke.  And  many  of  our  degraded 
sisters  in  that  distant  land  will  bless  God  through  all 
eternity  for  Mary  Lyon,  the  instructor  of  their  own 
teachers,  Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice. 

In  July,  1862,  occurred  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary of  the  school  ;  and,  in  commemoration  of  it,  the 
graduates  were  all  invited  to  be  present.  Many  of 
them  were  able  to  accept  the  invitation  and  join  in  a 
glad  reunion,  in  which  some  of  Miss  Lyons'  friends, 
who  had  aided  her  in  her  enterprise,  united.  That 
was  a  day  of  thrilling  interest,  on  which  classmates 
and  friends  long  separated  met  and  reviewed  the  way 
in  which  they  had  been  led,  thanked  God  for  the 
blessings  bestowed  upon  their  loved  seminary  home, 
and  pledged  anew  their  prayerful  remembrance  of  it 
and  of  each  other. 


SELECTIONS 


HISS  LION'S  INSTRUCTIONS. 


SELECTIONS. 


MORNING    EXERCISES. 

(See  page  105.) 
I. 

"  TBT  WILL  BE  DOKE.W 

WE  are  so  constituted  that  we  have  strong  desires. 
We  would  not  have  it  otherwise.  But  we  would  have 
our  desires  lost  in  God's  will.  Parents  often  speak  of 
a  child's  possessing  a  strong  will  as  a  very  great  calam- 
ity. It  is  certainly  a  calamity  to  have  an  unsubdued 
will,  but  a  blessing  to  have  strong  desires  yielded  to  a 
higher  and  holier  will.  The  yielding  of  the  will  to  the 
parent  or  teacher  is  often  the  schoolmaster  that  leads 
to  Christ.  Thank  God  if  you  have  learned  to  submit 
your  will  to  that  of  your  parents.  You  have  had  but 
little  occasion  to  practise  submission  now,  but  I  trust 
you  will  treasure  up  this  passage  of  Scripture  in  your 
hearts  and  practise  it  all  your  lives.  You  will  often  be 
called  to  yield  your  will  where  you  least  expected  it, 
and  perhaps  to  those  to  whom  you  would  not  naturally 
yield  it.  This  is  often  true  in  the  family  relations. 
Unhappiness  in  domestic  circles  might  almost  always 
be  avoided,  if  there  were  only  those  found  to  say  from 
the  heart,  "Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done." 

219 


220  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

We  may,  perhaps,  be  submissive  to  the  will  of  God 
in  great  events,  where  we  can  see  his  hand,  but  when 
his  will  is  made  known  through  the  agency  of  man,  find 
ourselves  unsubmissive.  This  should  not  be  so.  His 
providence  makes  known  his  will,  and  not  his  audible 
voice.  All  that  is  sent  upon  you  is  at  his  bidding,  and 
he  stands  ready  to  help  you  to  know  no  will  but  his. 
"We  may  become  like  little  children,  willing  to  be  led 
lust  where  God  would  have  us  go.  When  we  find  our- 
selves ready  to  give  up  even  lawful  pleasures  and 
possessions,  how  happy  is  our  life !  When  we  can 
relinquish  health  and  friends  and  our  smile  not  be  dis- 
turbed, how  much  we  enjoy  them !  I  think  our  feelings 
are  somewhat  like  those  of  Abraham  and  Sarah  when 
Isaac  was  given  back  to  them  from  Moriah.  It  is  a 
blessed  life  to  be  conscious  of  doing  all  we  do  because 
God  would  have  it  done,  and  feeling  that  all  we  possess 
is  his,  and  if  taken  from  us  will  still  be  found  in  safe- 
keeping. 

u. 

Sowrao  TO  THE  SPIRIT  AND  TO  THE  FLESH. 

He  who  sows  to  the  Spirit  and  denies  himself  will 
have  an  increase  of  happiness  and  great  spiritual 
growth,  while  those  who  sow  to  the  flesh,  loving  self, 
reap  only  corruption.  The  most  wretched  beings  in 
this  world  are  those  who  think  only  of  themselves, 
having  no  interest  in  others.  How  many  do  we  see 
around  us  seeking  for  ease,  honor,  pleasure,  or  improve- 
ment, just  to  gratify  self.  If  their  object  is  attained 
there  conies  little  of  happiness  with  it,  because  all  is 


MOHNING  EXERCISES.  221 

emended  upon  self.  We  ought  to  turn  the  current  of 
feeling  toward  others.  Let  it  flow  out  in  a  thousand 
streams.  How  much  happier  you  will  be  to  live  in  a 
thousand  than  to  live  in  yourself  alone.  The  throwing 
out  of  your  whole  soul  in  powerful,  disinterested,  vig- 
orous action  for  others,  no  matter  how  self-denying, 
will  make  you  to  receive  a  hundred-fold  even  in  this 
life.  It  is  our  duty  to  exhibit  to  the  universe  a  being 
enjoying  all  the  happiness  for  which  we  were  created. 
How  is  this  to  be  done?  By  a  forgetfulness  of  self, 
and  devotion  of  thought,  time,  feeling,  and  money  to 
the  interests  of  others.  Thus  there  will  be  a  constantly- 
increasing  inward  realization  of  real  happiness.  No 
one,  let  him  do  all  he  can  for  others,  can  make  the 
sacrifice  that  Christ  has  made  for  us.  His  natural  life 
was  as  dear  to  him  as  any  one's,  but  he  gave  it  all  for 
the  good  of  others.  Selfishness  contains  within  itself 
a  canker-worm.  Loving  self  supremely  continually 
disappoints. 

Selfishness  is  our  greatest  enemy.  "We  may  be  in 
danger  of  following  the  advice  of  friends  who  would 
lead  us  to  practise  less  self-denial.  I  should  be  afraid 
to  dissuade  any  one  from  exercising  self-denial.  If  a 
sister  or  a  friend  is  inclined  to  give  up  some  article  of 
dress,  that  she  may  give  more  to  a  benevolent  object, 
although  she  may  scarcely  meet  your  ideas  of  respecta- 
bility without  it,  do  nothing  to  change  her  inclination. 
If  one  has  or  has  not  a  desire  to  practise  self-denial,  do 
nothing  which  ma}'  prevent  the  exercise  of  it.  The  act 
brings  a  rich  reward,  the  most  blessed  recompense  that 
can  be  asked. 

When  in  doubt  which  of  two  courses  to  take,  follow 


222  RECOLLECTIONS  Of  MARY  LTON. 

that  which  involves  most  self-denial.  You  will  then 
find  yourself  in  the  safer  and  happier  path,  and  walk- 
ing with  Him  who  denied  himself  for  our  sakes. 

We  are  told  many  times  in  the  Bible  that  we  are  not 
to  seek  our  own  ease — that  our  life  does  not  consist 
in  the  abundance  of  the  things  we  possess.  We  are 
taught  to  renounce  self.  We  should  first  give  our- 
selves to  Christ,  and  then  seek,  like  him,  to  do  good  to 
all  about  us.  He  was  never  seeking  a  place  where  to 
live,  but  a  place  where  he  could  deny  himself  for 
others. 

m. 

STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

Always  have  a  plan  for  studying  the  Scriptures. 
Make  a  plan  that  you  will  like  to  follow  for  years. 
Seek  to  give  at  least  two  hours  of  every  Sabbath  to  the 
careful  study  of  the  Scriptures.  Read  the  Bible  in 
course.  There  is  an  advantage  in  this,  especially  for 
those  who  are  weighed  down  with  cares,  or  literary 
pursuits,  or  those  whose  minds  are  undisciplined.  Dis- 
inclination to  reading  is  thus  overcome.  How  little  we 
read  our  Bibles  !  Might  we  not  find  time  to  read  some 
chapters  more  every  day  ?  Let  us  think  for  a  moment 
how  we  should  feel,  if  a  voice  from  heaven  should  tell 
us  that  we  could  never  open  a  Bible  again. 

It  is  a  duty  to  commit  Scripture  to  memory,  and  have 
a  plan  for  self-teaching.  Commit  passages  that  inter- 
est you,  and  commit  them  perfectly.  Do  not  mutilate 
them.  If  you  have  committed  them  well,  when  you 
teach  a  child,  repeat  Scripture  to  a  sick  person,  or 
pray,  it  will  flow  forth  easily  and  be  just  what  is 
needed. 


MORXIXG  EXERCISES.  22o 

Bible  language  is  the  best  body  for  Bible  thoughts. 
There  is  a  beauty  and  strength  in  Scripture  language 
that  is  found  nowhere  else.  Shakespeare  is  not  worthy 
of  a  place  by  its  side.  Treasure  the  words  and  the 
truths  of  the  Bible.  Make  these  truths  the  subject  of 
frequent  meditation.  "We  can  not  depend  on  the  strong- 
est resolutions,  or  the  impulses  of  immediate  feeling ; 
we  must  be  guided  by  the  truth.  How  much  we  may 
accomplish  in  fifteen  years  in  studying  the  Bible  !  It 
is  an  inexhaustible  mine,  and  most  precious  diamonds 
are  found  in  it,  after  we  think  all  the  gems  are  dug 
out.  The  historical  portions  reward  long-continued 
and  oft-repeated  study.  "We  can  hardly  give  too  much 
time  to  the  history  of  the  Israelitish  nation.  There  are 
three  distinct  things  that  we  should  bear  in  mind  in 
reference  to  them.  They  were  the  recipients  of  the  ora- 
cles of  God  ;  through  them  the  Messiah  was  to  come ; 
they  were  the  foundation  of  the  church.  More  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature  is  to  be  derived  from  the  study 
of  the  history  of  the  Israelites  than  from  any  other 
source.  If  we  would  learn  of  God,  let  us  read  that 
history.  If  we  would  know  ourselves,  we  shall  find 
our  hearts  well  portrayed  in  it. 

When  you  read  the  Psalms  and  the  Epistles,  dwell 
carefully  on  each  word,  and  pray  over  eveiy  verse. 
Let  your  soul  sometimes  delight  itself  in  reading,  med- 
itating, and  praying  at  the  same  time,  over  your  open 
Bible.  The  sweet  pleasure  and  satisfaction  found  in 
sitting  down  alone  to  read  the  Bible  is  evidence  of  being 
a  Christian.  How  often  some  verse  will  come  "home  to 
the  heart  as  nothing  else  will !  It  seems  to  penetrate 
deeper  than  any  sermon  or  religious  instruction. 


224  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LTON. 

If  the  Bible  may  only  be  allowed  to  take  the  lead  in 
our  schools,  I  care  not  how  closely  the  sciences  follow. 


rv. 

OUK  RELATIONS  TO  GOD. 

Our  relations  to  persons  and  things  around  us  should 
keep  us  constantly  alive  to  duty.  We  ought  to  think 
and  reflect  upon  them,  and  not  go  hurriedly  from  one 
thing  to  another,  because  led  by  others,  but,  under- 
standing our  relations,  with  resolution  and  fixedness  of 
purpose  perform  our  duty.  But  our  relations  to  God 
are  the  most  important  subjects  of  study  and  thought. 
"We  should  consider  them  very  often,  for  all  our  other 
relations  flow  from  these.  It  is  really  the  whole  great 
business  of  life  to  know  and  understand  our  relations 
to  God,  and  to  perform  the  duties  arising  from  those 
relations.  How  great,  how  comprehensive,  is  our  work ! 
We  have  a  threefold  duty — to  receive  the  truth,  to 
believe  it,  and  to  obey  it.  Our  minds  are  so  consti- 
tuted that  nothing  but  God  can  fill  them.  He  is  the 
only  object  suitable  and  capable  of  satisfying  the  im- 
mortal mind.  And  the  mind  craves  a  spiritual  satisfy- 
ing, almost  as  the  physical  system  does  food.  It  is 
the  joy  of  the  Christian  that  God  is  his  Creator,  that  he 
lives  in  Him  and  receives  all  good  from  him.  How 
full  are  the  Psalms  of  this  feeling!  The  Christian's 
heaven  is  being  eternally  with  his  God,  and  in  the 
enjoyment  of  that  bliss  of  which  his  communings  with 
him  here  are  only  a  foretaste.  And  his  thought  of  hell 
is  only  of  being  banished  from  the  presence  of  his  God 
for  ever  and  ever. 


EXERCISES.  225 


God  is  the  supreme  Governor  of  the  world,  and  every 
thing  which  takes  place  in  it.  Every  act  as  it  is  per- 
formed, every  thought  as  it  passes  through  the  mind, 
every  word  as  it  is  spoken,  is  incorporated  by  God 
into  his  divine  plan  of  government.  Each  individual 
is  accountable  to  God  for  all  he  does.  We  ought  to  be 
solemn,  knowing  that  the  least  thing  we  do  is  not  over- 
looked by  God.  His  government  extends  over  the 
universe  ;  the  winds  and  the  waves  obey  him  ;  "the 
beasts  of  the  fields,  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  the  cattle 
upon  a  thousand  hills  ;  but  he  has  a  law  for  his  moral 
beings.  This  law  is  full  of  glory,  and  it  is  easy  to  be 
obeyed  by  a  willing  heart  and  an  obedient  mind.  The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect.  It  is  so  because  if  changed 
in  the  least  it  would  be  imperfect.  The  best  laws  for 
nations,  communities,  schools,  or  societies  are  capable 
of  improvement.  Not  thus  with  God's  law.  It  is  per- 
fect because  it  treats  all  alike.  He  is  no  respecter  of 
persons.  Its  commands  are  in  agreement  with  princi- 
ples of  our  nature.  It  is  one  of  these  principles  to  honor 
our  parents,  to  love  our  brothers  and  sisters.  The  law 
of  God  is  easy  to  be  obeyed  in  health,  in  sickness,  in 
strength,  in  weakness,  by  the  wise,  the  ignorant,  the 
rich,  the  poor,  by  all.  It  is  adapted  to  the  wisdom  of 
the  wisest,  to  the  poverty  of  the  poorest,  to  all  men  in 
their  various  conditions.  Of  what  other  law  can  this 
be  affirmed  ?  But  no  law  is  perfect  without  a  penalty, 
otherwise  it  would  be  only  advice,  —  and  no  one  but 
its  divine  author  can  judge  what  it  should  be.  The 
penalty  of  God's  law  is  certainly  to  be  inflicted,  and 
rewards  for  keeping  it  are  equally  sure  and  full  of 
glory. 

15 


226  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LYOX. 


TO  LITE  AND  LABOE. 

2  Cor.  v.  This  chapter  describes  the  state  of  one 
ready  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ,  and  yet  willing  to 
live  and  labor.  It  presents  two  great  principles  of 
action  —  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  and  the  constraining 
love  of  Christ.  However  much  we  may  labor  and  pray 
for  souls,  remember  that  Christ  died  for  them.  "We 
must  make  effort  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  that 
effort  must  be  accompanied  by  an  inward  desire  and 
love  for  the  work.  There  is  an  internal  feeling,  which 
none  know  but  those  who  have  experienced  it,  that 
prompts  to  action,  and  is  never  tired  of  the  work, 
though  one  may  feel  that  she  can  not  make  the  mental 
and  physical  effort  requisite. 

If  the  citadel  of  the  heart  is  once  taken  possession 
of  by  its  rightful  sovereign,  it  can  never  be  retaken  by 
Satan.  It  may  be  called  the  internal  heart.  Some 
expect  religion  to  free  them  from  all  their  infirmities 
at  once.  But  it  will  not  be  so.  "We  groan  in  this  life, 
being  burdened.  The  evidence  that  we  are  renewed 
is  in  the  effort  to  counteract  every  thing  that  opposes 
our  spirituality.  "We  should  not  rest  because  the  cita- 
del is  taken.  We  should  rather  make  continued  con- 
quests on  the  outlying  provinces.  The  Christian  course 
requires  exertion.  It  is  a  race  which  demands  an  effort, 
greater  than  any  physical  effort  we  have  ever  put  forth. 


MORNING  EXERCISES.  227 


CULTIVATION  OF  PERSONAL  RELIGION. 

Christians  should  give  much  time  to  cultivating  per- 
sonal religion.  This  family  is  not  now  a  standard 
in  this  respect.  When  the  daughters  of  the  millennium 
shall  occupy  these  seats,  they  will  not  think  a  half-hour 
morning  and  evening  sufficient  for  devotion.  We  ought 
to  take  cafe  of  every  hour,  making  a  right  division  of 
time,  that  we  may  have  more  for  communion  with  God. 
To  be  most  careful  to  meet  worldly  engagements,  and 
give  only  the  fragments  of  time  to  religious  duties,  is 
not  seeking  first  the  kingdom  of  God.  Our  time,  as 
well  as  our  property,  should  be  tithed  to  the  Lord.  We 
should  seek  to  expend  it  all  aright.  It  is  a  great  thing 
to  know  how  to  rest  rightly. 

We  ought  to  make  progress  in  religious  knowledge. 
We  should  daily  gain  new  ideas,  or  gain  a  new  impres- 
sion of  some  idea.  We  should  never  hear  a  sermon  or 
prayer  without  gaining  something.  If  you  will  lay 
your  minds  and  hearts  open  to  the  truth,  you  will  find 
yourselves  growing  rapidly  in  religious  knowledge,  even 
if  your  means  of  grace  are  not  all  you  would  desire. 
Never  feel  that  you  can  not  get  good  from  ordinary 
preachers.  If  you  are  where  God  has  placed  you,  He 
can  and  will  bless  you  ever  and  always  in  his  house. 
Your  duty  is  to  hear. 

Christians  must  often  go  forward  in  efforts  for  them- 
selves and  others,  also,  when  it  seems  utterly  impos- 
sible. Efforts  made  in  such  a  way  cause  us  to  grow 
rapidly  in  the  strength  that  God  gives.  When  laboring 
for  souls,  we  are  often  called  upon  to  speak  the  last 


228  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

word  we  can  speak,  give  the  last  bread  we  have,  and 
then  look  to  Christ  for  more. 

We  must  often  pray  till  we  have  not  another  petition 
that  we  can  offer,  and  then  when  in  silence  we  are  rest- 
ing on  the  Eternal  Arm,  our  friend  may  be  saved. 

"VTE. 

"YB  ABE  HOT  TOOK  OWK.» 

Nothing  helps  the  Christian  more  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty,  than  a  sense  of  his  responsibility ;  but  who 
can  duly  estimate  that  responsibility !  It  increases 
with  every  beating  pulse.  An  immortal  spirit  is  com- 
mitted to  him,  which  is  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  heaven,  a 
companion  of  Jesus  Christ  for  ever,  and  there  is  doubt- 
less a  very  close  connection  between  our  religious  char- 
acter here  and  our  state  in  the  world  to  come.  There 
is  a  wonderful  adaptation  in  this  world  to  fitting  us  for 
our  eternal  home.  But  we  may  do  things  here,  not 
only  at  a  wrong  time  but  in  a  wrong  spirit  and  man- 
ner, that  will  not  only  affect  us  all  our  lives  but  through 
eternity.  We  should  look  carefully  to  the  manner  of 
performing  not  only  our  religious  duties,  but  also  our 
temporal  duties,  for  this  also  is  to  affect  us  through  all 
eternity.  Let  us  remember  that  time  is  really  a  part 
of  eternity.  This  is  our  sowing-time,  and  the  reaping 
is  at  hand.  We  are  bought  with  a  price  ;  and  when  we 
consider  what  that  price  was,  can  we  ask  to  be  our 
own  ?  Would  we  wish  to  live  for  any  other  than  Him 
who  has  given  his  own  life  for  us?  What  a  privilege, 
what  a  comfort,  that  we  can  all  live  and  labor  for 
Christ  1 


MORXIXG  EXERCISES.  229 

There  are  no  Christians  so  young  or  so  weak  that 
they  can  not  labor.  All  are  watchmen.  We  should  all 
lift  up  our  voice  to  warn  those  who  see  not  the  sword 
of  God  pursuing  them.  We  should  all  seek  to  live 
consistent  Christian  lives.  Perhaps  it  will  be  found 
when  the  history  of  every  conversion  shall  be  made 
known,  that  there  has  been  no  louder  and  more  effectual 
voice  than  this.  God  has  made  it  a  blessing  in  every  age 
to  be  associated  with  the  righteous.  Those  around  you 
look  to  you,  —  they  notice  you  in  the  room,  in  the  class, 
in  the  prayer-meeting,  in  your  calls,  your  walks,  at  all 
times,  —  in  your  words,  looks,  every  thing.  The  consist- 
ent life  of  the  young  Christian  may  be  a  more  effectual 
means  for  the  conversion  of  youth,  than  all  others  com- 
bined. You  may  do  much  by  religious  conversation. 
I  do  not  mean  studied  conversation,  but  by  always 
having  a  heart  to  speak  with  Christians  before  others. 
Be  free  to  speak  of  a  passage  of  Scripture  that  has 
interested  you,  of  a  prayer-meeting,  of  doing  good  to 
souls.  The  great  means  of  doing  good,  though  we 
can  not  tell  why  or  how,  only  because  God  so  directed 
it,  is  by  example.  We  are  to  be  ourselves  what  we 
would  have  others  be.  And  this  not  only  when  others 
know  it,  but  in  all  places  ;  for  I  believe  that  even  what 
we  do  in  secret  affects  others. 


OCR  SIXFCL  HEARTS. 


It  is  true  that  we  know  little  of  our  hearts.  If  we 
would  know  what  sin  is  ;  if  we  would  know  our  own 
ch"racter,  take  the  Bible  and  read  every  verse,  from  the 


230  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

beginning,  that  speaks  of  sin.  Read  those  passages 
that  describe  all.  If  we  appear  not  as  wicked  as  we 
are  described,  it  is  because  of  the  restraining  influen- 
ces thrown  around  us.  Were  those  removed  our  hearts 
would  disclose  all  this  abominable  wickedness.  Would 
you  see  the  human  heart  unsealed,  look  at  the  history 
of  the  children  of  Israel.  There  is  a  counterpart  in 
our  hearts  to  all  that  is  revealed  of  them.  Would 
you  see  God  in  the  silence  of  your  closets,  read 
the  history  of  Israel.  We  see  there  his  leading  attri- 
butes, wrath  and  long-suffering.  Dwelling  upon  these 
attributes  helps  us  to  understand  ourselves.  The 
hatred  of  the  human  heart  towards  salvation  is  greater 
than  towards  condemnation.  There  are  delicate  young 
ladies  who  manifest  their  contempt  for  a  revival,  and 
if  Christ  were  on  earth,  they  would  cry,  "  crucify  him." 
They  would  be  willing  it  should  be  done.  This  is  a 
hard  doctrine  to  those  who  know  not  their  hearts. 
God  has  shown  his  displeasure  against  sin  in  the  pen- 
alty, he  has  annexed,  and  we  shall  each  know  in 
heaven  or  hell  how  great  is  his  displeasure.  The  suf- 
ferings of  the  Son  of  God  show  it  most  clearly.  No 
language  has  as  yet  fully  described  the  wickedness  of 
the  human  heart.  The  language  of  the  Bible  on  this 
subject  is  labored.  If  such  is  sin,  what  is  its  penalty  ? 

rx. 

"  TAKE  NO  THOUGHT  WHAT  YE  SHALL  EAT." 

We  think  of  things  of  which  we  ought  not  to  think. 
We  often  make  ourselves  unhappy  by  dwelling  on  our 
condition  and  prospects,  and  those  of  our  friends.  But 


MORNIXQ  EXERCISES.  2^31 

it  is  our  blessed  privilege  to  commit  all  these  to  him, 
who  will  certainly  take  care  of  us,  if  he  sees  we 
are  not  afraid  to  'trust  him.  What  a  wonder  that  the 
Infinite  God  is  willing  to  take  thought  for  us,  and  it  is 
a  greater  wonder  that  we  are  not  willing  to  trust  him. 
With  God  to  take  thought  for  us,  we  need  never  be  sad. 
We  have  only  to  go  on  and  do  present  duty,  and  God 
will  take  care  of  the  future.  This  thought  often  over- 
whelms me  —  God,  the  great  God  taking  care  of  me,  and 
willing  to  let  me  trust  him  !  If  all  is  dark  ;  if  there  is 
universal  darkness,  and  long  continued,  we  may  still 
trust  God,  if  we  are  willing  to  obey  him.  If  you  are 
Christ's,  do  not  seek  for  certainty  and  security  in  this 
life.  Jesus  never  led  one  of  his  children  in  that  way. 
We  must  trust  him. 


ETEBNITT. 

Eternity  is  probably  more  like  time  than  we  imagine. 
All  the  essential  conditions  of  our  existence  will,  doubt- 
less, continue  through  eternity  ;  but  we  shall  follow  out 
the  shades  of  condition  fully  in  another  world.  The 
difference  between  slight  and  excruciating  pain  is  great 
here,  but  it  will  be  greater  there.  Happiness,  whether 
great  or  little,  is  important  here  ;  but  it  will  be  vastly 
more  important  there.  We  are  not,  perhaps,  aware 
how  much  of  our  happiness  and  misery  consists  in  re- 
membering. There  would  really  be  but  little  enjoy- 
ment here  were  it  cut  off  with  the  moment  and  blotted 
out  of  our  being.  How  much  happiness  do  we  some- 
times now  enjoy  in  remembering  the  past  !  What  will 
that  happiness  be  in  eternity  ?  There  we  shall  remem- 


232  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

ber,  with  joy,  all  that  was  endured  to  some  purpose. 
The  remembrance  of  wrong  living  causes  us  unhappi- 
ness  here.  We  have  feelings  of  shame  for  the  moment, 
but  throw  a  vail  over  such  feelings.  It  is  like  looking 
at  the  burning  sun.  "We  can  close  the  eyelids  and  shut 
it  out.  But,  imagine  yourself  without  eyelids.  That 
would  be  like  eternity.  There  will  be  no  vail  there. 
"We  forget  in  this  life,  but  shall  remember  in  eternity. 
Our  remembrances  here,  compared  with  those  there, 
will  be  like  the  glimmer  of  a  candle  before  the  sun. 
This  life  is  but  a  faint  picture  of  eternity.  Every 
thing  here  is  helping  to  make  up  our  future  happiness 
or  misery.  In  what  we  think  and  say  we  are  weaving 
the  web  of  eternity.  The  least  word  here  is  to  live 
with  us  through  those  countless  ages.  How  foolish  to 
yield  to  temptation,  and  forget  that  we  are  to  live  for 
ever.  How  changed  will  our  views  of  life  be  in  another 
world !  What  views  of  the  Divine  character  will  be 
revealed  to  us  when  we  reach  the  eternal  shores. 

XI. 

"IN  THE  WORLD  YE  SHALL  HAVE  TRIBULATION." 

Much  has  been  said,  and  justly,  of  the  pleasures  and 
enjoyments  and  blessings  given  us  in  this  world.  Still, 
it  is  a  life  of  trial,  sorrow,  and  tribulation.  We  are 
oppressed  by  various  ills,  and,  more  than  all,  by  the 
weight  of  sin.  But  there  is  a  remedy  for  all  this.  It 
is  looking  unto  Jesus.  And  while  we  can  look  to  him, 
it  is  a  great  mistake  to  desire  to  be  free  from  trials. 
Trials  give  us  our  most  delightful  sympathy  with  the 
dear  Saviour,  and  help  prepare  us  to  go  and  dwell  with 


MOUSING   EXERCISES.  233 

him.  Those  happy  ones  who  have  been  washed  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  came  out  of  great  tribulation.  We 
desire  the  result,  but  shrink  from  the  process  leading  to 
it.  To  have  sympathy  with  Christ,  we  must  take  np  the 
cross  in  the  path  of  duty.  We  need  not  seek  the  cross, 
but  we  should  never  try  to  go  around  it.  It  is  giving 
but  one  view  of  the  Christian  life  to  say  it  is  a  life  of 
joy.  It  is  a  paradox  that  the  more  he  suffers  the  great- 
er will  be  his  joy.  There  are  three  kinds  of  suffering 
—  for  sin  —  the  common  trials  of  life — and  those  trials 
which  we  might  avoid  by  going  out  of  the  path  of  duty. 
The  last  are  those  which,  if  met,  give  us  an  exceeding 
great  reward.  We  should  never  think  of  Christ's 
trial  as  confined  to  the  last  agony.  His  was  a  life  of 
constant  trials,  and  we  may  expect  ours  to  be. 

The  Saviour  kindly  remembered  our  weakness,  when 
he  taught  us  to  pray,  "  lead  us  not  into  temptation. " 
We  may,  and  should,  ask  the  Lord  every  day  to  lead 
us  where  we  shall  not  need  to  spend  our  time  and 
strength  in  resisting  temptation,  but  rather  give  them 
directly  to  his  service.  We  should  ask  to  be  free  from 
temptations  of  pleasure  and  comfort,  no  less  than  those 
of  pain  and  sorrow.  And  when  tried  we  should  inquire 
if  we  have  run  into  the  path  of  temptation. 

xn. 

THE  GREAT  SUPPEB. 

There  yet  is  room ;  compel  them  to  come  in.  We 
should  not  pray  for  the  few,  who  now  remain  impen- 
itent in  this  family,  because  they  are  left  alone.  There 
are  many  treading  the  same  road  with  them.  Think  of 


I?:"1.!  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LYOJf. 

the  multitudes  who  die  daily  on  heathen  shores.  But 
we  should  pray  for  them,  because  there  is  yet  room  in 
the  heart  of  the  Saviour,  and  because  our  Father's  house 
is  to  be  filled.  Sinners  ought  to  believe  that  the  Re- 
deemer has  died  for  them,  and  that  they  may  occupy 
the  mansions  above.  They  should  compel  themselves 
to  come  in.  Christ  has  prepared  mansions  for  us,  and 
they  will  be  filled.  Does  it  mean  that  there  are  just  so 
many  seats  in  heaven,  and  that  if  they  are  absent  there 
will  be  a  feeling  of  lack  ?  By  no  means.  Suppose  that 
one  of  you,  for  whom  prayer  has  been  offered,  should 
not  be  found  in  heaven  a  thousand  years  hence.  Your 
pious  Mends  there  will  feel  no  lack.  You  will  be  for- 
gotten. Your  name  will  not  come  in  to  disturb  the 
joy  of  heaven.  God  will  not  miss  you  —  your  friends 
will  not  miss  you.  Those  friends  will  feel  that  heaven 
is  filled  without  you.  They  will  be  satisfied  with  Christ 
and  satisfied  with  each  other. 

Each  one  of  you  is  now  called  to  the  supper  of  the 
Lamb,  and  I  charge  you  not  to  put  off  repentance  for 
any  thing  else.  You  have  only  a  little  time  in  which 
you  may  compel  yourselves  to  come  in. 


AFTERXOOX  EXERCISES.  23o 

AFTERNOON    EXERCISES. 

(Sec  page  Ml). 

I. 

STUDY. 

"We  should  know,  by  experience,  what  hard  study  is. 
It  would  be  well  for  all  to  have  one  severe  study  like 
Latin  or  mathematics  through  the  year.  All  should  have 
thorough  discipline  in  these  studies  before  taking  the 
higher  English  branches.  Let  the  roots  grow  and  ex- 
pand before  we  gather  fruit.  There  is  no  reason  why 
ladies  should  not  faithfully  pursue  such  studies  as  well 
as  gentlemen.  Our  course  of  study  embraces  much, 
but  probably  fifty  years  hence  it  will  appear  quite  lim- 
ited. "We  should  not  study  to  be  pleased,  any  more 
than  we  live  to  eat ;  and,  as  it  is  an  important  part  of 
discipline  not  to  be  fastidious  about  our  food,  if  we 
would  be  prepared  for  usefulness  in  any  sphere,  so  we 
should  study  and  not  expect,  for  a  long  while,  to  find 
pleasure,  but  when  we  do  reap  the  fruit  it  will  be  very 
sweet. 

At  another  time  she  cautioned  her  pupils  against 
school  manners.  She  said,  "You  can  avoid  school 
tricks,  and  we  do  not  expect  any  who  come  here  to 
practice  them.  We  are  a  family  rather  than  a  school ; 
why  have  school  manners  ?  Never  be  boisterous  ;  treat 
all  with  respect.  Let  the  Bible  have  its  full  influence 
upon  your  hearts,  and  you  will  be  gentle,  and  at  the 
same  time  happy.  I  am  always  afraid  of  those  who  talk 
a  great  deal  about  what  they  are  doing.  Some  of  the 


23G  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LYON. 

most  efficient  characters  in  the  world  are  the  most 
quiet.  Cultivate  the  habit  of  moving  noiselessly,  so 
that  you  will  always  be  welcome  in  the  chamber  of 
sickness  and  suffering. 

Benevolence  is  drawn  out  in  the  house-keeping  de- 
partment. In  arranging  the  work  we  look  at  justice, 
while  you  should  look  at  the  other  side.  It  is  important 
for  you  to  be  very  quiet  in  the  domestic  hall.  In  the 
rattling  of  crockery,  knives,  and  forks,  and  other  arti- 
cles, character  is  read,  and  your  own  mothers  honored 
or  dishonored. 

n. 

PUNCTUALITY. 

Perfect  punctuality  in  the  time  and  manner  of  doing 
things  is  of  great  consequence.  Consider  well  what 
you  can  and  ought  to  do,  and  be  faithful  in  performing 
it.  If  you  form  the  habit  of  being  a  minute  or  two  late 
it  will  grow  upon  you,  and  you  will  become  very  uncom- 
fortable members  of  society.  You  will  find  yourselves 
neglected,  losing  your  influence,  becoming  very  unhap- 
py, and,  may  be,  doubting  even  whether  you  are  Chris- 
tians, just  from  the  effects  of  the  habit  of  being  a  little 
behind  time."  She  here  drew  a  picture  of  a  family 
wanting  in  system  and  punctuality  —  their  hurry  and 
confusion ;  their  chasing  of  the  hours,  never  to  find 
them,  were  vividly  portrayed.  We  should  be  careful, 
be  prompt  in  paying  little  debts.  It  might  be  impos- 
sible, when  praying  for  some  one,  to  keep  out  of  mind 
a  ten  cents  her  due. 

Always  be  within  a  half  a  minute  of  the  time  appoint- 


AFTERNOON  EXERCISES.  237 

ed  for  any  exercise  or  duty.  Carry  this  through  life, 
and  always  let  your  influence  be  felt  for  good  in  punc- 
tuality in  attending  meeting.  Our  own  punctuality  will 
greatly  assist  us  in  the  care  of  others. 


HABITS. 

Every  confirmed  habit  of  doing  little  things  well  will 
have  an  influence  upon  our  future.  Our  wardrobes 
should  always  be  kept  in  order,  because  of  the  effect 
such  a  habit  will  have  upon  ourselves  and  others. 
Good  habits  will  enable  mothers  to  have  greater  moral 
power  over  their  daughters,  and  daughters  should  come 
up  to  their  mothers'  standard  in  every  thing,  thus  in- 
citing the  mothers  to  higher  and  higher  endeavors,  so 
that  each  generation  will  increase  in  moral  perfection, 
till  the  dawn  of  the  millennium.  "We  give  others  much 
vexation  and  trouble  by  negligence.  "We  should  form 
a  strong  resolution  to  avoid,  through  life,  trying  the 
patience  or  irritating  the  feelings  of  others  in  this  man- 
ner, and  strive  to  possess  those  habits  which  will  make 
us  welcome  visitors  any  where,  and  valuable  friends. 

Oh  !  if  I  were  as  young  as  you,  with  my  present 
views,  how  differently  would  I  begin.  Not  that  I  really 
desire  to  b.e  put  back  where  you  are,  for  I  can  sa}^, 
"  Goodness  and  mercy  have  followed  me  all  the  days  of 
my  life  ;  "  but  I  do  wish  }rou  to  begin  right.  I  entreat 
you  to  form  good  habits.  You  have  no  time  or  strength 
to  spare  in  overcoming  bad  habits. 

Although  we  are  generally  neat  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  house,  we  need  not  expect  in  this,  or  any  thing 


238  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

else,  to  find  our  duty  less  because  by  habit  we  ac- 
quire the  power  of  doing  it  readily,  for  in  just  such 
proportion  shall  we  always  find  our  duties  increase. 
Our  amount  of  duty  will  always  be  equal  to  our  amount 
of  strength  or  ability  to  perform  it.  We  should  be 
perfect  in  all  we  do,  not  merely  for  the  present,  but  to 
help  in  the  formation  of  a  good  character.  We  should 
not  be  like  soapstone,  that  crumbles  as  it  is  rubbed, 
but  like  gold,  that  shines  brighter  and  brighter  the 
more  it  is  used. 

rv. 

ECONOMY. 

Economy  consists  in  providing  well  at  little  compar- 
ative expense.  It  implies  good  judgment  and  good 
taste.  It  can  be  equally  manifested  in  the  tasteful 
decorations  of  a  palace  and  in  the  simple  comforts  of  a 
cottage.  If  all  ladies  possessed  it  in  a  high  degree, 
how  much  more  would  be  found,  in  families,  of  comfort 
and  convenience ;  of  taste  and  refinement ;  of  education 
and  improvement ;  of  charity  and  good  works.  Our 
institution  is  distinguished  by  its  economical  features. 
Economy,  however,  is  not  adopted  for  its  own  sake 
principally,  but  as  a  means  of  education  ;  as  a  mode  of 
producing  favorable  effects  upon  character,  and  of  pre- 
paring young  ladies  for  the  duties  of  life.  The  great 
object  is  to  make  the  school  really  better.  An  eco- 
nomical character  is  to  be  formed  by  precept,  by  prac- 
tice, and  by  example.  Example  has  great  effect,  not  only 
in  furnishing  a  model  for  imitation,  but  also  in  prov- 
ing that  economy  is  practicable,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  essential  requisites  for  success.  Let  a  young  lady 


APTERXOOX  EXERCISES.  239 

spend  two  or  three  years  on  intimate  terms  in  a  family 
distinguished  for  a  judicious  and  constant  illustration 
of  this  principle,  and  the  effect  can  not  be  lost.  Econ- 
omy should  be  strict,  and  based  on  principle.  It  should 
extend  to  the  smallest  things.  Those  who  resolve  upon 
economy  on  some  sudden  occasion,  or  from  some  unu- 
sual motive,  are  apt  to  misplace  it  and  appear  mean. 
For  instance,  a  lady  may,  in  listening  to  some  appeal 
for  benevolence,  resolve  to  be  very  economical,  and, 
when  her  house  is  filled  with  guests,  have  it  but  par- 
tially lighted.  She  will  be  considered  mean,  and  it 
would  not  be  strange  if,  after  six  months,  she  should 
go  to  the  opposite  extreme.  But  if  she  has  a  fixed 
habit  of  economy,  her  house  will  be  well  lighted  when 
it  is  necessary,  and  those  same  lights  will  be  extin- 
guished when  there  is  no  further  need  of  them.  Proper 
economy  will  be  an  unostentatious  habit,  offensive  to 
to  no  one,  because  regulated  by  wisdom  from  above, 
and  will  greatty  promote  the  cause  of  Christ.  In  prac- 
ticing it,  we  shall  influence  hundreds,  and  they,  in  their 
turn,  thousands.  We  can  not  expect  the  blessing  of 
God  if  we  waste  what  he  gives  us. 

We  should  economize  in  nothing  more  than  in  time, 
and  be  very  careful  of  the  time  of  others.  Young  la- 
dies are  in  great  danger  of  using  the  time  of  others  too 
freely,  and  perhaps  never  more  in  danger  than  on 
recreation  day. 

v. 

HEALTH. 

I  know  it  will  be  a  great  self-denial  to  many  of  you 
not  to  study  in  recreation  hours,  but  we  think  we  have 


2  10  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  .VARY  LTOX. 

assigned  as  many  hours  in  a  day  to  study  as  are 
advisable.  If  you  can  not  see  things  just  as  we  do, 
we  hope  you  will  be  willing  to  yield  your  judgment  to 
ours.  If  you  have  brought  good  health  with  you,  we 
think  our  arrangements  are  such  that,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  you  will  be  enabled  to  keep  it.  I  would  say 
to  you  what  I  have  said  to  many  young  ladies :  the 
value  of  health  is  inestimable  to  a  lady.  Her  appro- 
priate duties  are  so  numerous  and  varied,  so  constant 
in  their  demands,  and  so  imperious  in  the  moment  of 
their  calls,  that  health  is  to  her  above  price.  She  cau 
not  perform  her  duties  faithfully  and  successfully  un- 
less she  possesses  a  calm  mind,  an  even  temper,  a  cheer- 
ful heart,  and  a  happy  face.  To  possess  all  these,  will 
require  a  good  degree  of  health.  A  gentleman  may 
possibly  do  good  without  much  health,  but  what  can  a 
lady  do,  unless  she  takes  the  attitude  of  an  invalid,  and 
seeks  to  honor  Christ  by  patience  and  submission.  I 
would  not  undervalue  this,  but  if  you  can  do  good  in 
another  way,  by  taking  care  of  your  health,  will  you 
not  be  happier  in  it  ?  If  a  gentleman  can  not  do  his 
wctk  one  hour,  perhaps  he  may  do  it  another ;  but  a 
lady's  duties  admit  of  no  compromise  of  hours. 

If  a  gentleman  is  annoyed  and  vexed  with  the  ner- 
vousness of  his  feeble  frame,  he  may  perhaps  use  it  to 
some  advantage,  as  he  attempts  to  move  the  world  by 
his  pen.  But  a  lady  can  not  make  use  of  this  infirmity 
in  her  influence  over  her  children  and  family  ;  an  influ- 
ence which  should,  at  all  times,  be  under  the  control  of 
gentleness  and  equanimity.  I  am  very  anxious  in 
regard  to  your  health  and  comfort.  If  you  are  Christ's 
now,  or  if  you  become  his,  remember  that  he  has  redeem- 


AFTKRXOON  EXERCISES.  2  1 1 

ed  your  bodies  as  well  as  your  souls.  He  is  to  present 
them  pure  and  spotless  before  your  Father  in  heaven. 
These  bodies  are  not  your  own.  They  are  the  temple 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Can  you  be  negligent  of  them? 
We  will  try  to  help  you  take  care  of  them.  If  we 
think  that  you  should  see  a  physician  at  any  time,  we 
hope  you  will  be  willing  to  do  it,  —  that  you  will  avoid 
unnecessary  exposure,  —  and  seek  for  a  quiet,  happy 
frame  of  mind,  which  greatly  promotes  good  health. 

God  has  instituted  laws  for  the  regulation  of  health, 
and  the  difference  between  the  moral  law  and  the  nat- 
ural and  physical  law  is,  that  the  former  is  right  in 
itself,  and  can  never  be  set  aside  ;  and  the  latter  derive 
their  authoiity  from  God's  appointment :  but  he  has 
given  us  a  certain  degree  of  elasticity,  which  makes  it 
safe  for  us  to  turn  aside  when  duty  requires  it.  We 
ought  never  to  lessen  this  elasticity  by  using  it  for  self- 
indulgence.  Illustrated  by  the  difference  between  a 
mother's  depriving  herself  of  her  accustomed  sleep  to 
care  for  her  sick  infant,  and  doing  the  same  for  self- 
gratification. 

Remember,  the  command,  "  Thou  shalt  not  kill," 
means  not  only  outright,  but  slowly ;  it  means  not  only 
others  but  yourself,  not  only  this  generation  but  gener- 
ations to  come.  It  is  probable  that  many  of  you  are 
now  suffering  from  the  fact  that  those  who  have  gone 
before  you  have  not  properly  cared  for  their  health. 
Your  mothers,  when  at  your  age,  were  not  living  for 
themselves  alone  —  they  lived  for  you,  even  as  they 
have  done  in  later  years.  It  is  a  fearful  thing,  young 
ladies,  to  disregard  the  laws  of  health.  You  know  not 
where  the  consequences  may  cease.  This  view  of  the 

16 


212  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYO.V. 

subject  makes  life  more  noble  and  important.  I  should 
not  dare  to  speak  to  those  of  little  cultivation  of  mind 
and  heart  as  I  do  to  you  ;  but  I  expect  you  to  appreciate 
what  I  say,  and  to  weigh  the  subject  carefully  before 
God. 

VI. 

FURNISHING  A  TABLE. 

There  are  three  ways  of  furnishing  a  table  —  the 
luxurious,  the  scanty,  and  the  comfortable.  The  first 
we  often  find  among  the  fashionable  —  but  not  among 
the  most  intellectual.  It  causes  depression  of  both 
mind  and  body.  The  second,  the  scanty,  causes  more 
depression  still.  Those  who  practice  the  third  thin! 
very  little  about  their  food.  Eating  is  not  their  great 
object.  It  is  desirable  to  give  attention  t"o  our  tables 
as  well  as  to  our  souls.  I  consider  bread-making  of  so 
much  consequence,  that,  in  giving  attention  to  it,  I  am 
confident  that  I  am  serving  God. 


PEUSOXAL  REsroysiniLiTY  is-  Girixrj.        243 


PERSONAL  RESPONSIBILITY  IX  GIVING. 

(See  page  175). 

It  is  nothing  with  God  to  help,  whether  with  many, 
or  with  them  that  have  no  power.  But  his  blessing  is 
delayed  so  as  to  be  given,  as  a  rich  reward,  to  the  will- 
ing and  obedient  heart.  Is  the  spirit  of  any  one  stirred 
within  him  in  behalf  of  this  cause,  let  him  be  faithful 
in  his  own  place  and  in  his  own  way,  and  for  himself 
alone.  Let  him  carry  his  own  petition,  warm  from  his 
own  heart,  to  the  throne  of  mere)7,  rather  than  to  seek  a 
friend  to  carry  it  in  his  behalf,  and  it  shall  prevail.  Let 
him  give  all  —  all  that  he  ought,  either  from  his  abun- 
dance or  from  his  scanty  store,  rather  than  to  look  to  his 
neighbor  to  do  it  in  -his  stead,  and  the  deed  shall  be  re- 
membered in  heaven,  and  his  work  shall  not  be  in  vain. 
Is  he  poor,  let  him  be  careful  to  give  the  last  mite 
which  the  Lord  requires  at  his  hand.  That  little  pit- 
tance which  he  has  laid  aside,  which  he  really  seems  to 
need  for  his  comfort,  and  on  which  his  eye  is  now  fixed 
with  that  anxious  inquiry,  may  be  more  in  the  Lord's 
treasury  than  thousands  in  other  hands.  It  may  be  of 
more  weight  in  the  counsels  of  heaven,  as  this  great 
question  relative  to  the  funds  of  the  American  Board 
shall  there  be  settled. 

Is  he  rich,  let  him  give  —  not  a  part  —  but  all  which 
the  Lord  requires.  Though  he  may  cast  his  thousands 
into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord,  it  may  weigh  naught  in 
the  counsels  of  heaven  if  any  thing  is  kept  back.  But 
let  him  come  fully  up  to  his  ability  ;  let  him  come  fully 
up  to  the  urgency  of  the  case,  and  he  shall  receive  even 


244  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

a  richer  reward  than  did  the  widow  with  her  two  mites. 
No  one  knows  to  whom  in  this  case  it  shall  be 
said,  "  Thou  hast  power  with  God  and  hast  prevailed." 
No  one  knows  to  whom  the  balancing  may  be  given, 
which  shall  determine  this  great  question  in  the  court 
of  heaven.  The  balancing  power  was  given  to  Achan, 
and,  with  Ixis  wedge  of  gold,  he  could  trouble  the  whole 
camp  of  Israel.  The  deciding  power  was  given  to 
Phineas,  and,  with  javelin  in  hand,  he  was  able,  by  a 
single  act,  to  stay  the  plague,  and  save  thousands  from 
a  speedy  death.  Let  no  one  say,  therefore,  that  the 
little  which  he  can  do  will  have  no  avail.  "When  God, 
in  the  court  of  heaven,  shall  weigh  the  offerings  which 
shall  decide  this  great  question,  he  may  say,  "  This 
poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more  than  they  all."  On  the 
other  hand,  let  no  one  feel  that  he  can  afford  to  con- 
sume treasures  on  himself,  because  he  has  already  done 
so  much  for  the  cause.  The  little  that  remains  in  his 
hand  which  he  can  give,  and  which  the  Lord  requires 
of  him,  may  be  the  balancing  power  which  shall  decide 
the  whole  case.  But  let  each,  in  his  own  condition,  be 
faithful  unto  the  last  mite,  and  he  shall  have  his  reward. 
With  his  faithful  hands  and  willing  heart,  and  through 
that  grace  by  which  he  is  what  he  is,  let  Mm  go,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  carry  his  petition  to  the  mere}' 
seat,  and  it  shall  be  granted.  Is  his  petition  that  the 
hearts  of  others  shall  be  opened  to  go  and  do  likewise  ? 
Then  the  hearts  of  others  shall  be  opened,  and  they 
shall  go  and  do  likewise,  and  the  work  shall  be  done. 


BENEVOLENCE.  245 


BENEVOLENCE. 

March  30,  1848.  The  duty  of  sacred  charity  is 
plainly  inculcated  in  the  Scriptures.  The  highest  form 
of  this  charity  is  that  which  goes  out  of  ourselves, 
which  is  not  concerned  with  ourselves  or  our  interests. 
Other  charities  may  partake  of  the  true  spirit  of  giving 
—  while  other  motives  are  involved.  If  this  great 
principle  is  paramount  other  charities  will  flow  out  of 
it,  illustrated  by  a  church,  by  individuals.  The  church 
that  will  give  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  will  give 
for  the  salvation  of  her  country.  A  church  needs  a 
foreign  mission  to  teach  it  to  carry  its  prayers  and 
efforts  out  of  itself;  so  the  man  who  will  give  to  send 
the  gospel  to  the  heathen,  will  educate  his  son  to  pro- 
mote the  same  cause.  Pray  over  this  subject  while  yon 
are  considering  it ;  remember  it  morning  and  evening. 
I  trust  we  shall  all  have  our  hearts  drawn  out  to- 
gether, each  class  of  us,  that  we  who  hope  we  are 
Christians,  may  take  a  higher  stand,  and  that  we  may, 
in  connection  with  this,  first  give  ourselves  to  the 
Lord. 

March  31.  Sacred  charity  is  a  divine  appointment, 
wonderful  though  it  is.  The  design  of  this  is  evident- 
ly the  benefit  of  the  giver  as  well  as  the  receiver.  Sa- 
cred charity  is  a  pledge  of  personal  consecration ;  a 
test  to  one's  self  of  willingness  to  give  up  all  for 
Christ.  In  order  that  it  may  be  thus,  it  must  be  a 
heart  work  ;  there  must  be  a  readiness  to  give  up  all,  if 
God  requires  it.  In  the  heart  all  must  be  given  up, 
and  all  may  enjoy  the  privilege.  Let  us  all  enjoy  it. 


•J  (I',  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

April  4.  Sacred  charity  is  a  pledge  of  personal  con- 
secration. It  may  be  made  the  test;  if  we  give  up  in 
heart,  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  to  carry  it  out  in 
our  lives.  The  disciple  is  not  above  his  master  —  illus- 
trated in  the  lives  of  the  apostles.  Trials  for  Christ's 
sake  were  different  in  different  ages.  "We  may  not 
suffer  persecution,  but  we  may  give  so  much  as  to  suf- 
fer in  the  opinion  of  others ;  of  those,  too,  whom  we 
love,  and  the  trials  be  the  same  in  essence  as  of  those 
who  suffer  persecution :  and  we  shall  not  lose  the  re- 
ward. If  we  give  in  sacred  charity,  and  give  for 
Christ's  sake,  we  must  give  so  as  to  feel  the  loss  of 
what  we  give  continually.  I  dare  not  tell  any  one  how 
much  to  give ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  of  certain  great 
principles  of  which  this  is  one,  that  we  ought  volunta- 
rily to  submit  to  suffer  in  person  and  in  feeling  for 
Christ's  sake.  Do  you  feel  willing  to  make  such  a  sur- 
render of  all  as  to  give  in  charity  just  as  much  as  you 
believe  duty,  without  conferring  with  flesh  and  blood, 
your  own  wants,  and  the  wants  of  those  you  tenderly 
love? 

April  7.  Christian  charity  may  be  so  practiced  and 
illustrated  as  to  make  us  feel  what  a  price  was  paid  for 
our  redemption.  When  you  put  your  hand  to  this  work 
—  always  remember,  ""We  are  bought  with  a  price." 
Christ's  example  should  be  a  motive  to  us.  "  For  ye 
know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  how  that  for 
our  sakes  he  became  poor."  Shall  we  be  willing  to  make 
no  return  ?  Oh,  I  would  have  our  offering  made  with 
such  a  spirit  that  it  shall  be  the  means  of  setting  before 
us  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified. 

April  11.      We  are  to  study  God's  plan,  and  not 


BE&E  roLEScr.  217 

man's.  This  is  a  large  plan.  There  are  reasons  for 
giving  while  connected  with  this  seminary,  and  giving 
here,  this  year,  rather  than  at  home  :  reasons,  also,  for 
giving  only  to  two  great  objects ;  these  embrace  the 
others.  We  should  remember  the  principle  on  which 
this  institution  was  founded,  and  the  way  in  which  the 
money  was  raised  for  it.  It  was  not  to  save  the  money 
of  parents  or  of  children  that  so  much  was  given  here 
with  so  little  expense  to  the  scholars,  but  that  great 
and  important  principles  might  be  inculcated  here. 

April  13.  No  plan  but  God's  plan  should  be  adopt- 
ed. This  is  large,  and  should  be  so  large  as  to  have  a 
chastening  influence  upon  us.  We  may  bear  some  of 
the  same  fruits  with  Christ.  We  are  to  give  our  money 
to  save  souls.  If  we  here,  this  year,  give  and  pray 
as  we  should,  we  shall  meet  souls,  at  last,  saved 
through  our  instrumentality.  Great  giving  meets  the 
will  of  God.  The  standard  of  Christians  is  too  low. 
I  censure  no  one,  but  I  must  tell  you  what  I  think,  that 
the  standard  of  most  of  our  good  people  is  too  low. 
We  may  give  too  much  for  the  poor,  though  I  do  not 
think  we  do.  But  there  is  no  danger  of  giving  too 
much  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  we  must  give  now 
—  not  wait  till  we  get  rich.  The  telegraphic  wires  are 
established  between  us  and  the  heathen  ;  and  if  we  do 
not  work  now,  do  not  send  them  the  gospel  now,  they 
will  perish.  Illustrated  by  the  great  Jewish  economy. 
The  terms  of  the  gospel  itself  should  lead  us  to  give 
largely  ;  the  terms  of  discipleship,  as  given  by  Christ, 
also.  We  must  deny  ourselves ;  forsake  all  that  we 
have.  This  may  be  done  by  changing  our  style  of 
dress  and  of  living.  I  do  not  think  the  standard  I  have 


248  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOtf. 

been  presenting  is  too  high.  When,  in  eternity,  I  meet 
you  and  the  many  others  I  have  here  addressed,  I  think 
you  will  all  agree  with  me.  And  now  you  ask  what 
you  shall  do.  I  can  not  tell  you.  I  can  only  spread  a 
few  of  my  many  thoughts  before  you.  I  can  not  un- 
burden my  soul  as  I  would.  Seek  wisdom  from  on 
high. 

April  14.  Miss  Lyon  gave  her  reasons  for  having 
two  subscriptions  annually,  instead  of  one ;  alluded 
to  ways  in  which  we  may  save  money  intrusted  to  us 
by  our  parents  to  give  awaj-,  and  then  left  it  with  us 
and  our  God,  praying  that  all  might  be  blessed. 

June  27.  This  morning  Miss  Lyon  dwelt  upon  the 
truth,  "  God  is  love  "  —  especially  upon  that  love  which 
was  manifested  in  giving  up  the  Son  of  his  love  for 
those  who  were  his  enemies.  She  invited  us  to  try  to 
think  of  this  theme,  though  it  is  beyond  thought  to 
know  it — it  passeth  knowledge.  As  we  were  about  to 
renew  our  missionary  subscription,  the  subject  was 
applied  to  giving;  she  hoped  that  our  second  subscrip- 
tion would  not  be  a  mere  gathering  of  the  fragments, 
but  that  many  would  give  so  much  as  to  feel  it;  and, 
more  than  this,  that  some  would,  first  of  all,  give  them- 
selves unto  the  Lord,  and  then  never  count  any  sacrifice 
too  great  for  Christ.  She  urged  all  to  bear  in  mind  that 
she  was  not  speaking  for  the  present  merely,  but  she 
would  fain  give  impressions  which  will  live  after  she 
dies,  and  asked  that,  when  we  should  hear  of  her  death, 
we  would  remember  what  she  had  told  us  this  morn- 
ing of  the  love  of  Christ. 

July  6.  Self-denial,  illustrated  in  the  life  of  a 
foreign  missionary,  "  How  often  do  I  wish  that  once 


EEXEVOLEXCE.  249 

again  I  could  see  all  my  dear  missionary  children 
together  for  one  hour  —  and  what  would  I  say  to  them  ? 
I  would  not  commend  them  for  what  they  had  done.  I 
would  sympathize  deeply  with  them  in  every  trial  they 
should  speak  of;  but  I  should  want  to  spend  more  of 
the  hour  in  pointing  out  the  temptations  I  should  fear 
for  them ;  in  telling  them  how  they  might  fail  to  be 
true,  missionaries."  Then,  for  the  sake  of  those  present, 
who  might  some  time  find  themselves  in  a  heathen  land, 
she  pointed  out  some  of  the  dangers,  such  as  the  desire 
to  improve  their  style  of  living,  so  as  not  to  fall  so  far 
below  the  foreign  residents  with  whom  they  might  have 
intercourse,  or  a  wish -to  approach  more  nearly  to  the 
style  of  the  native  aristocracy,  in  order,  as  it  might 
seem,  to  get  an  influence  over  them.  Their  purse,  she 
said,  would  be  very  small,  like  a  child's  purse,  and  yet 
they  might  have  temptations  to  make  a  wrong  use  of 
that  little.  She  would  not  care  to  have  our  missionaries 
receive  more  for  their  support,  lest  they  would  be  less 
useful,  though  she  would  like  to  have  them  receive  more 
to  do  good  with,  if  they  had  the  opportunity.  In  their 
outfit,  and  in  all  their  course,  she  would  have  them 
study  to  see  how  little  they  might  expend  on  themselves. 
This  she  ventured  to  say  to  ws,  though  she  would  not 
say  it  to  the  world;  just  as  she  would  whisper  in  the 
ears  of  her  children  who  had  become  pastors'  urives,  to 
be  satisfied  with  a  very  small  salary,  though  she  would 
not  say  the  same  to  their  parishioners.  Then  she 
charged  us  to  remember  that  she  would  not  take  off  the 
burden  from  those  that  remain  by  the  stuff,  and  put  it 
on  those  "  who  go  out  to  battle,"  for  she  was  sure  she 
did  not  love  those  less  than  those  at  home ;  but  she 


2")0  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  L  TO  A". 

thought  she  could  not  have  shown  us  better  what  should 

O 

be  our  standard  for  self-denial  than  in  thus  speaking  of 
missionaries,  which  very  name,  she  thought,  synon- 
ymous with  self-denial. 


OUTLINES  OF  ADDRESSES  ON  MISSIONARY  CON- 
TRIBUTIONS. 

I. 

GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  GIVING. 

1.  "We  are  not  our  own,  in  the   use  of  temporal 
things. 

2.  We  are  to  live  for  eternity  in  the  use  of  money. 
This  is  possible.     Many  think  it  is  not.     Fix  your  eye 
on  eternity  just  as  it  is.     Every  dollar  you  spend,  cast 
your  eye  into  eternity. 

3.  The  will  of  God  is  to  be  our  only  guide.     God 
has  a  mind  on  the  subject ;   he  has  a  will.     Are  you 
willing  to  know  his  mind  and  will  ? 

4.  The  will  of  God  can  be  known.     Whoever  seeks 
with  his  whole  heart,  shall  know  it.     Three  ways  —  1. 
The  Word  —  this  must  be  first.     2.  The  providence  of 
God.     3.  The  Spirit  of  God. 

5.  The  general  principle  of  following  the  calls  of 
Providence,  in  doing  good,  rather  than  our  feelings  of 
ability,  is  to  be  applied  to  this  duty. 

6.  To  give  as  much  as  we  think  we  ought,  is  an  easy 
duty. 

7.  An  important  test  of  Christian  character. 


OUTLINES  OF  ADDRESSES.  2.">1 

n. 

THE  REWARD. 

1.  The  reward  comes  to  all.     No  respecter  of  per- 
sons.    2  Cor.  viii.  12.     The  gospel  tolerates  no  com- 
promise of  principle  with  the  world.     Christ  must  have 
all  or  none.    "Whoever  will  give  a  cup  of  cold  water, 
will  lay  down  his  life. 

2.  There  is  a  direct  reward  of  Providence.     "  Hun- 
dred-fold." 

3.  Reward  in  our  own  bosoms  :  — 
(a)  Peace  of  conscience. 

(&)  A  supply  for  the  natural  cravings  of  our  nature. 

(c)  Satisfaction  in  doing  what  God  requires. 

(d)  A  feeling  of  union  with  Jesus  Christ,  in  his 
work  and  his  sympathies. 

4.  Meeting  with  the  fruits  of  our  labor. 

5.  A  personal  interest  in  the  greatest  events  and 
greatest  deeds. 

6.  The  glorious  future  reward,  which  is  a  continu- 
ance of  the  hundred-fold  in  this  life. 

m. 

GIVING  IN  CHRIST'S  NAME. 

1.  To  give  in  Christ's  name,  we  must  give  as  much 
as  he  requires.     He  will  allow  of   no  compromise. 
Ananias  and  Sapphira. 

2.  We  must  give  with  a  feeling  of  our  unworthiness. 
Those  who  make  the  greatest  sacrifices,  have  the  most 
feeling  of  their  unworthiness  to  do  it. 


252  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  T  L  FO-Y. 

3.  We  must  feel  that  we  have  a  privilege  in  this 
world  given  us  through  the  blood  of  Christ. 

4.  We  must  have  just  views  of   Christ's  poverty. 
No  merit  to  be  poor  —  none  to  be  rich.     But  to  be  poor 
as  Christ  was  is  accepted. 

5.  Submissive  to  Christ's  will.     Command  of  Christ. 
Matt.  x.  8-10  ;  John  xxi.  15-19. 

6.  With  feelings  for  others  similar  to  Christ's. 

7.  With  such  a  view  of  the  reward  as  Christ  had. 
Heb.  xii.  2 ;  xi.  24-27. 

TV. 
THE  BIBLE  STANDARD  OF  GIVING,  HIGH. 

1.  The  general  tenor  of  the  Bible  gives  this  impres- 
sion :    Let  any  candid  reader,  without  prejudice,  receive 
the  Bible  impression.     Darkness  and  blindness  of  self- 
ishness on  this  subject.     This  darkness  does  not  cease 
with  the  selfish  mind,  but  extends  to  darken  the  views 
of  the  benevolent. 

2.  Evidence  of  a  high  standard  from  the  Jewish 
economy.     The  requirements  of  God  uniform  in  prin- 
ciple, not  uniform  in  the  detailed  application.     Time, 
money,  fruits  of  the  earth,  to  be  given  in  how  many 
ways.     Riches   discouraged ;    year    of  jubilee ;    non- 
intercourse  with  foreign  nations.     The  great  principle 
of  discouraging  riches,  not  to  be  applied  in  detail. 

3.  Early  disciples  required  to  give  up  all,  and  become 
poor,  for  Christ's  sake.     Houses  and  lands  to  be  for- 
saken.    The  principle  continued.    All  suffer  tribulation 
not  in  the  same  way,  but  in  some  way.     All  poorer 
than  they  would  be.    A  false  impression  is  sometimes 


OUTLINES  OF  ADDRESSES.  253 

made  by  saying  that  no  one  was  ever  poorer  for  what  he 
gives. 

4.  Early  community  of  goods.     Acts  iv.  34-37. 

5.  The  curse  for  withholding.     Acts  v. ;  Mai.  iii. 

6.  The  blessings  promised  to  the  liberal. 

7.  Commendation  of  extraordinary  giving.      Luke 
xxi.  1-4  ;  2  Cor.  viii.  1-4. 

8.  The  example  of  Christ  as  held  up  to  us.     2  Cor. 
viii.  9. 

v. 

REASONS  WHY  WE  SHOULD  ADOPT  THE  BIBLE  STANDARD. 

1.  The  value  of  the  soul.     Dwell  on  it,  and  compare 
it  with  the  uses  of  money.     Matt.  xri.  26. 

2.  The  infinite  price  paid  for  its  redemption. 

3.  The  duty  of  loving  others  as  ourselves.     Apply 
this  to  their  future  state. 

4.  The  divine  appointment  of  means. 

5.  Doors  opened  by  the  providence  of  God. 

6.  Success  that  God  has  given  to  the  use  of  means. 

7.  The  great  cloud  of  witnesses. 

8.  Our  knowledge  of  duty  —  of  what  can  be  done. 

9.  The  demands  of  our  own  consciences. 

VI. 

WHAT  is  A  HIGH  STANDARD? 

In  such  a  great  work,  reason  would  often  seem  to  re- 
quire that  we  give  up  all.  But  if  we  can  find  a  general 
guide  in  the  Bible,  we  may,  from  it,  take  permission  to 
keep  a  part  for  ourselves. 

Tenth.     The  generally  admitted  proportion,  if  any, 


254  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

taken  from  the  Jewish  tribes.     Two  great  mistakes  in 
this  standard. 

1.  About  the  Jewish  tribe.     A  tenth  a  small  part 
of  what  was  required. 

2.  In  what,  in  our  circumstances,  would  be  a  tenth. 
Some  take  a  tenth  of  their  income  after  supporting 
their  families.     Others  take  a  tenth  after  their  own 
personal  support.     Others  still  calculate  to  take  their 
salary  exclusive  of  board,  not  reckoning  their  board 
any  thing.     Some  take  only  the  money  from  produce 
sold,  leaving  out  the  produce  consumed,  —  the  house- 
rent,  the  use  of  horse  and  carriage,  etc. 

The  Jewish  standard  a  general  guide,  but  not  a  cor- 
rect one  for  individual  duty. 

The  Old  Testament  our  school-master  to  teach  us 
New  Testament  duty.  All  such  requirements  allow  of 
some  deviations.  The  disciples  might  pluck  the  ears 
of  corn  on  the  Sabbath.  But  deviations  must  be  higher 
as  well  as  lower. 

Two  grounds  of  deviation.  First  ground,  our  abil- 
ity compared  with  that  of  the  Jews.  The  following 
points  of  comparison  :  — 

1.  Our  country,  with  Palestine.     The  land  to  culti- 
vate, how  much  more.     The  arts,  which  increase  the 
value  of  property.     The  knowledge,  enabling  us  to  use 
what  we  have  to  the  best  advantage. 

2.  Compare  the  immediate  community  in  which  you 
live  with  the  whole  country. 

3.  Compare  your  own  standing  with  all  the  others. 
Second  ground  of  deviation.     Comparison  between 

the  two  dispensations :  — 


OUTLINES  OF  ADDRESSES.  255 

1.  The  object  of    the  sacrifice   required.      Ceremo- 
nial burdens  removed,  but  in    their  stead    the  com- 
mand, "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world." 

2.  The  great  High  Priest.     Heb.  viii.  1-6  ;  ix.  8-14. 
The  Jewish  priests  to  be  sustained  in  their  work.    If  I 
may  be  allowed  the  expression,  the  Great  High  Priest 
needs  far  more  to  sustain  his  work.     His  sacrifice 
greater. 

3.  The  direct  requirements  of  Christ  to  forsake  all. 
The  young  man.     Matt.  xix.  21.     Not  so  explicit  in 
the  case  of  the  Old  Testament  saints. 

4.  The  voluntary  sacrifice  of  the   early  Christians 
to  extend  the  gospel.    Not  so  with  the  Old  Testament 
saints. 

5.  The  new  covenant  compared  with  the  old.    What 
encouragement  to  work  for  God  under  this  new  cove- 
nant, with  such  promises.     Heb.  viii.  7—12. 

General  conclusion,  that  the  standard  which  God  has 
raised  far  higher  than  that  of  the  most  liberal. 

vu. 

SELF-DENIAL  FOB  CHRIST'S  SAKE. 
2  Pet.  ii.  20-24 ;  Heb.  ii.  10-18. 

1.  What  is  self-denial?     Not  what  is  brought   on 
by  Providence,  but  by  your  voluntary  act. 

2.  Christ  designs  sufferings  for  his  disciples.     No 
other  dare  to  enter  into  the  sheepfold  only  to  follow 
Christ. 

3.  Self-denial  is  painful  for  the  time.     It  was  with 
Christ.     It  was  a  bitter  cup.     So  with  his  followers. 


256  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

Giving  your  money  as  you  ought  will  be  a  painful 
work.  "Whoever  doubts  it,  look  at  the  excuses  made 
against  it. 

4.  It  is  the  most  painful  of  suffering.     The  struggle 
of  yielding  to  the  stroke  more  painful  than  the  stroke 
itself. 

5.  It  is  crowned  with  an  unspeakable  joy.     Not  a 
joy  beforehand  but  afterwards.     Christ  has  this  joy ; 
this  hope  to  sustain  us.      Christ  was  thus  sustained. 

6.  The  Captain  of  our  salvation  "  perfect  through 
suffering." 

(1.)  Captain  in  seeking  an  atonement  for  us. 
(2.)  In  sanctifying  us. 

(3.)  In  leading  us  on  in  the  conflict  of  self-denial. 
(4.)  In  giving  us  final  victory. 

7.  He  calls  us  brethren. 

8.  We  are  to  look  to  Christ  in  his  sufferings. 

9.  We  are  to  behold  him  as  the  Son  of  God  there, 
and  when  we  come  back  from  the  sight  shall  we  say  I 
can  not  do  this,  or  bear  this,  or  suffer  this  ? 

10.  We  are  to  look  to  him  as  ever  able  to  redeem 
as. 

vm. 

REASONS  FOR  SELF-DENIAL. 
John  xii.  25-30. 

1.  A  reward  is  given  our  labors  :  — 

(1.)  Success  direct. 

(2.)  Success  in  prospect. 

(3.)  Success  with  others  to  carry  it  on. 


OUTLINES  OF  ADDRESSES.  257 

2.  Religious  communications  in  your  own  soul. 

(1.)  Reality  of  the  unseen  world.  That  of  misery 
and  of  blessedness. 

(2.)  Communion  with  Christ  —  his  world  —  his  ob- 
ject—  his  plans  —  his  promises. 

(3.)  Faith  in  the  grand  doctrine  of  salvation.  We 
are  to  work  on  the  same  principle  that  Christ  did. 
Not  that  they  love  us,  but  that  we  love  them. 

(4.)  Daily  dependence  on  Christ  —  his  promises  — 
his  grace. 

(5.)  An  advancing  onward  in  our  pathway  to  heav- 
en. How  is  one  to  get  out  from  the  influence  of  the 
world  ? 

3.  Our  final  reward  :  — 
(1.)  Being  with  Christ. 
(2.)  Sharing  in  his  glory. 

(3.)  Our  joy  and  causes  of  rejoicing. 
(4.)  Rejoicing  with  Christ. 

IX. 

CURSE  OF  SELFISHNESS. 

Mai.  i.  6,  7,  8,  14 ;  iii. 

What  is  it  to  rob  God  ?   Not  to  give  what  he  requires. 
All  the  tithes.     Learn  this  from,  — 
(1.)  Jewish  dispensation. 
(2.)  Christian  precepts. 
(3.)  Christ's  example. 

1 .  Curse  on  your  person. 

2.  Curse  on  your  relative  business  with  others. 

3.  Curse  on  the  work  of  your  hands. 

4.  Curse  on  all  the  blighted  feelings  of  your  heart. 

17 


258  RECOLLECTIONS  OP  MAR Y  L  YON. 

5.  Curse  in  having  no  heart  for  the  work  of  self- 
denial  —  the  talent  laid  up  in  the  napkin. 


THK  PARABLE  OF  THE  TALBSTS. 

Matt.  xxv.  14-30. 

Great  variety  of  instruction  in  this  parable.  It  is 
the  plan  of  God  that  all  should  live  on  little. 

1.  God  has  given  on  an  average  but  little  to  the 
human  family.     Each,  of  course,  must  take  but  little 
and  use  it. 

2.  By  the  great  law  of  love,  God  demands  of  each 
much  of  the  little  he  has  given  him.     This  principle, 
essential  to  meet  this  demand. 

3.  By  the  duty  to  co-operate  with  Christ  God  has 
made  a  special  demand  on  the  little.     This  principle 
essential  to  meet  this  demand. 

4.  God  has  opened  a  wide  door  into  the  field  of  his 
service,  and  thus  made  a  demand  on  the  little. 

5.  The  increasing   calls  of  Providence  more  than 
keep  pace  with  all  other  increasing  improvements. 

Look  at  the  improvements  in  property  by  agricul- 
ture —  the  arts  —  railroads  —  manufactures  —  com- 
merce, etc. ;  and  then  look  at  China,  at  India,  at  Per- 
sia, at  Africa,  at  the  Islands  of  the  Sea. 

6.  It  is  the  only  way  to  be  a  consistent  Christian. 
Without  this  established  principle  of  action  there  will 
be  inconsistencies  and  absurdities. 

7.  The  only  way  to  be  relieved  from  perplexing  em- 
barrassment with  regard  to  duty. 


MEETINGS    WITH  THE  IMl'EXITENT.  259 

8.  The  only  way  to  receive  continued  peace  of  con- 
science ;  and 

9.  The  glorious  reward  in  heaven. 

Apply   this  to   yourselves ;   educate  yourselves  by 
doing.     Do  not  excuse  yourselves. 

1.  Either  because  you  are  so  rich  or  so  poor.     Pe- 
culiar advantages  of  each. 

2.  Defer  not  to  the  future  what  is  to  be  done  now. 

3.  Do  not  forget. 

4.  Never  faint  nor  be  discouraged. 

5.  Keep  eternity  and  the  worth  of  the  soul  in  view. 

6.  Keep  your  eye  on  the  Saviour,  day  by  day,  in  this 
work. 


MEETINGS  WITH  THE  IMPENITENT. 

(See  page  107). 

1848.  Jan.  3,  Fast-day.  Miss  Lyon  met  all  those 
in  the  Seminary  hall  who  usually  meet  with  her  on  the 
Sabbath.  After  singing  and  prayer,  she  commenced  by 
inviting  those  who  could  answer  the  following  questions 
affirmatively,  to  meet  with  her  at  seven  o'clock  this  even- 
ing :  Does  it  seem  to  you  that  you  want  religion  ?  Do  you 
feel  that  now  is  the  time  to  seek  it  ?  Does  it  seem  to  you 
that  you  are  willing  to  give  up  the  world  ?  Does  it  seem 
to  you  that  you  are  willing  to  attend  to  it,  even  though 
ridiculed  for  it  by  your  best  friends,  even  if  you  knew  you 
must  be  alone  in  seeking  it  ?  Does  it  seem  to  you  that 
you  want  your  will  bowed  to  God's  ?  Do  you  want  all 
your  portion  in  God?  Do  you  want  to  be  entirely 


2GO  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LTON. 

employed  in  the  service  of  God?  Do  you  want  that 
religion  that  shall  make  you  to  care  for  souls? — Upon 
each  of  these  questions  she  dwelt.  All  who  could 
answer  them  in  the  affirmative,  were  to  write  a  note 
saying  they  would  like  to  attend  the  meeting.  She 
then  went  on  to  speak  to  the  other  class,  who  could 
not  thus  decide,  mentioned  the  various  excuses  made 
by  sinners  for  not  now  seeking  salvation,  and  submit- 
ting to  Jesus ;  and  showed  how  vain  they  were ;  how 
vain  they  would  seem  in  the  light  of  eternity.  Her 
closing  remark  was,  "How  vain  to  resist  God!  Did 
you  ever  see  the  little  insect  fall  into  the  flame  ;  see  it 
struggle  and  strive  to  escape  ?  —  how  vain !  Just  so 
you  are  in  the  hands  of  an  angry  God.  What  if  you 
do  resist  ?  What  are  you,  a  feeble  worm  of  the  dust  ? 
Oh,  how  vain !  how  much  better  to  submit !  " 

Nearly  sixty  attended  the  meeting  in  the  evening. 
The  Christians  met  at  the  same  hour  in  praying 
circles. 

Jan.  10.  The  meeting,  at  four,  was  one  of  great 
solemnity.  Before  commencing  her  remarks,  Miss 
Lyon  invited  to  a  meeting,  at  seven,  all  those  who  felt 
pained  at  the  thought  that  this  work  might  cease,  and 
they  be  passed  by.  Her  subject  was,  Christ  Jesus  and 
him  crucified.  About  forty  wrote  notes  to  attend  the 
meeting  in  the  evening.  At  the  same  hour  a  meeting 
was  appointed  for  all  those  who  had  some  hope  that 
they  had  this  year  found  the  Saviour.  There  were 
thirty-eight  present.  It  seems  as  though  God  was  try- 
ing his  children,  to  see  how  faithfully  they  will  labor 
and  pray.  Last  year  the  Spirit  was  literally  poured 
out ;  we  could  only  stand  still  and  say,  "  What  hath 


OUTLINES  OP  ADDRESSES.  2G1 

God  wrought !  "  Now  he  blesses,  just  as  the  means 
are  used. 

Jan.  12,  Recreation-day.  Religious  meetings  this 
p.  M.,  as  last  week.  Those  who  meet  with  Miss  Lyon 
on  the  Sabbath,  were  invited  to  do  so  to-day.  Most 
were  there.  Sectional  prayer-meetings,  also,  as  last 
week. 

Jan.  16,  Sabbath.  At  the  meeting  in  the  P.  M. 
Miss  Lyon  spoke  from  the  words,  "  Choose  ye  this  day 
whom  ye  will  serve,"  and,  "  To-day  if  ye  will  hear  his 
voice."  At  the  close,  she  invited  all  who  had  decided 
to-day,  that  they  would  serve  the  Lord,  and  those  who 
had  to-day  felt  an  uncommon  anxiety  to  decide  thus, 
—  to  a  meeting  in  her  room.  There  were  seventeen 
present  (there  had  been  forty-seven  present  at  a  meet- 
ing in  the  morning,  for  all  who  have  indulged  hope 
recently)  ;  Miss  Lyon  is  rather  worn ;  her  anxiety  for 
the  family,  and  what  she  should  say  as  she  has  met  us 
from  time  to  time,  has  been  very  great  of  late. 

Feb.  7.  A  meeting  was  appointed  yesterday  (Sab- 
bath), the  first  Sabbath  after  vacation,  for  those  who 
have  indulged  a  hope  this  year.  If  any  one  who  at- 
tended a  meeting  of  the  same  kind  before  vacation, 
felt  that  she  ought  not  to  do  so  now,  she  was  to  write 
a  note ;  or,  if  any  who  had  not  attended  had  some 
hope  now,  they  too  were  to  write  a  note.  Five  new 
ones  attended.  One  was  not  there  who  had  been  be- 
fore. She  wrote  no  note,  however. 

Feb.  13,  Sabbath.  Of  the  large  class  who  were 
without  hope,  at  the  beginning  of  last  term,  more  than 
half  now  trust  they  have  found  the  Saviour.  In  the 
meeting  this  P.  M.  Miss  Lyon  read,  "I  thank  thee 


2G 2  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  Y  L  YON. 

that  them  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent," etc.  And  then  spoke  of  the  display  of  Sover- 
eign grace  in  the  salvation  of  sinners  ;  of  the  pardon 
of  the  sinner ;  of  important  periods  in  the  life  of  every 
sinner ;  when  the  kingdom  comes  near  ;  of  the  danger 
of  passing  those  periods ;  there  must  be  a  last  one. 
Be  entreated  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  to  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Those  who  hope  you  have  done 
so,  do  it  anew,  do  it  continually ;  those  who  have  never 
done  it,  do  it  to-day. 

Feb.  27,  Sabbath.  Object  of  these  meetings,  to  aid 
them  in  seeking  religion.  If  they  have  failed  in  this 
they  are  all  in  vain.  She  said  a  burden  rested  on  her 
soul  every  Sabbath,  as  she  looked  forward  to  this 
meeting.  She  read  the  account  of  the  publican,  and 
spoke  of  the  way  in  which  religion  must  be  sought ; 
first,  there  must  be  a  determination  to  seek  it,  in  spite 
of  all  that  may  be  said  and  done  by  others.  It  must  be 
sought  with  a  sense  of  our  own  unworthiness  ;  with  a 
willingness  to  venture  all,  to  run  the  risk  of  failing  or 
succeeding. 

March  5,  Sabbath.  Miss  Lyon  invited  to  her  room, 
in  the  morning,  all  who  had  a  general  interest ;  who 
felt  that  they  wanted,  more  than  any  thing  else,  to  seek 
the  salvation  of  their  souls.  There  were  as  many  pres- 
ent as  could  sit  round  the  room. 

March  19.  The  duty  and  importance  of  "  consider- 
ing." Miss  Lyou  then  invited  to  a  meeting  in  her 
room,  at  seven,  all  who  were  ready  to  decide  to  con- 
sider the  question,  this  week,  of  being  Christians, 
whatever  others  might  do.  Ten  were  present. 

April  9.     Miss  Lyon's  subject  was  the  "  New  Song" 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  263 

spoken  of  in  Revelation.  It  was  addressed  more  par- 
ticularly to  those  who  hope  they  have  already  learned 
a  little  of  that  "  Song."  At  the  close  of  the  meeting 
she  invited  to  her  room,  at  seven,  all  those  who  thought 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  still  striving  with  them. 
She  mentioned  some  things  that  would  help  them  to 
judge  whether  he  was  ;  as  she  wished  them  to  decide, 
remembering  God's  eye  was  upon  them,  and  be  care- 
ful that  they  did  not  grieve  him  away  entirely  by  de- 
ciding to  stay  away.  Seventeen  came  (all  but  sixteen 
who  are  without  hope) . 

April  23,  Subject,  "  To-day"  This,  the  last  of  these 
meetings  for  this  term.  Alluded  to  the  past  and  the 
future  ;  once  more  entreated  those  who  are  yet  without 
hope,  to  come  and  make  their  peace  with  God.  At  the 
close  of  the  meeting,  she  invited  to  a  meeting  all 
those  who  were  not  interested,  and  yet  wished  to  be, 
and  would  be  willing  that  others  should  know  that 
they  were  interested. 


OUTLINES  OF  SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS. 

I. 

WHO  ABE  AT  THE  ELEVENTH  HOUB. 

Matt.  xx.  1-16. 

All  acknowledge  that-  the  aged  are.     But  the  young 
may  be. 

1.  Those  appointed  to  an  early  death. 

2.  Those  who  have  enjoyed,  but  have  misimproved 
many  privileges. 


264  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  T  L  FO-V. 

3.  Those  who  have  often  grieved  the  Spirit. 

4.  Those  who  are  enjoying  their  last  special  call. 

Who  believe  yourselves  at  the  eleventh  hour?  Ur- 
gent reasons  why  those  of  you  at  the  eleventh  hour 
should  enter  the  vineyard. 

1.  The  infinite  importance  that  you  should  be  saved. 
What  can  be  the  gain  if  your  soul  is  lost  ? 

2.  The  voice  of  encouragement  from  the  Saviour. 

3.  The  calls  of  the  Spirit  to  your  heart.    Who  are 
now  thus  called  ? 

4.  Christ  has  need  of  your  feeble  services. 

5.  By  your  salvation  can  be  magnified  the  riches  of 
grace.' 

n. 

GOD  OPB  PORTION. 

Receiving  God  as  the  portion  of  the  soul,  often  the 
first  exercise  of  the  renewed  heart. 

Let  us  dwell  on  this  portion.  During  these  com- 
munings,  may  some  one  receive  God  as  her  por- 
tion. 

1.  God,  and  only  God,  can  fill  the  soul  with   satis- 
fying delight. 

2.  There    is  a  great,  solemn,  and  real    delight  in 
feeling  that  God  is  incomprehensible.      The  wicked 
seek   to  comprehend  God,  and  deny  what   they  can 
not  comprehend. 

3.  All  difficulties  and  perplexities   can  be  referred 
to  God,  and  there  left. 

4.  The  feeling,  "  God  will  do  right." 


SABBATH-EVENING   INSTRUCTIONS.  265 

5.  There    is   an  awful   and  solemn  delight  in  the 
feeling  that  God  hates  sin.     When  we  struggle  against 
sin,  it   is  comforting  to  know  that   there  is  One  who 
hates  and  abhors  all  sin  as  it  deserves. 

6.  God  knows  our  unworthiness,  guilt,  dependence, 
and  want. 

7.  God  can  forgive  sin. 

8.  Christ,  the  only  door  by  which  we  can  be  admit- 
ted to  the  presence  of  God. 

9.  The  great  end   of  Christ's  sufferings  and  death 
to  reconcile  us  to  God,  restore  us  back  to  his  favor  and 
presence.     2  Cor.  v.  17-21. 

Thus  sinners  may  be  entreated  to  be  reconciled  to 
God. 

m. 

ENEMIES  OF  CHRIST. 

What  is  it  now,  to  be  the  enemies  of  Christ?    What 
will  it  be  at  the  judgment  day,  and  what  in  eternity? 

1.  There  are  enemies.     Are  you  his  enemies? 

2.  They  forget  Christ.     They  do  not  feel  his  pres- 
ence. 

3.  They  do  not  feel  his  excellence  and  glory. 

4.  They  are  not  affected  with  his  history  —  his  life 
and  death. 

5.  The  cross  is  to   them  foolishness.     Here  is    an 
exhibition  of  sin ;  of  the  mind  of  a  sinner ;    of  par- 
don ;    of  deliverance ;    of  the  Godhead,   and   all   his 
glory,  —  his  wisdom,  his  justice,  his  mercy,  his  power, 
his  glory  ;  but  they  see  it  not. 


2G6  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

6.  They  despise  the  cross,  and  Jesus,  who  died  on 
the  cross. 

What  will  it  be,  at  the  judgment,  to  be  Christ's 
enemy  ? 

1.  Christ  will  come. 

2.  This   will  fill  his  enemies  with  terrible  anguish. 
The  face  of  the  Lamb.     This,   more  than  any  other 
view  of  God  in  Christ.     Why? 

(1.)  He  is  the  sinner's  friend,  but  their  eternal 
enemy. 

(2.)  Their  friend  once,  but  now  their  enemy. 

(3.)  His  countenance  once  beamed  with  infinite 
compassion ;  now,  with  a  heart-rending  fervor. 

(4.)  Once,  his  voice  they  heard  in  accents  of  invi- 
tation ;  now,  of  eternal  banishment. 

What  will  it  be  to  be  his  enemy  in  eternity  ? 

The  exciting,  the  changing,  the  passing  scenes  even 
of  the  terrible  judgment  will  be  some  relief;  but  oh, 
the  dark,  the  changeless,  the  eternal  prison  of  despair ! 
Banishment  for  ever  from  Jesus  Christ.  Never  to  see 
his  face,  or  hear  his  voice,  or  one  of  his  friends,  or  one 
of  his  works.  But  remember  him  as  once  your  friend, 
but  now  your  eternal  enemy. 


rv. 

FRIENDS  OF  CHRIST. 

Rev.  v.  9-12;  vii.  9-17. 

Are  any  of  you  his  friends  ?     Have  you  a  faint  im- 
pression that  it,  may  be  so?    Most  of  you  know  you 


S.ir,DATII-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  2C7 

aro  his  enemies.     "Would  you  become  his  friends  to- 
day? 

1.  Present  state  of  his  friends.     They  have  the  feel- 
ings and  conduct  of  friends. 

(1.)  They  regard  and  love  his  character.  What  a 
combination  in  Christ ! 

(2.)  They  feel  that  they  have  sinned  against  a  friend. 
Peter  and  Judas. 

(3.)  They  have  confidence  in  him  as  a  friend. 

(4.)  They  are  grateful  to  him  as  to  a  friend. 

(5.)  They  seek  to  honor  him  as  a  friend. 

(6.)  They  delight  in  having  his  will  done.  What  is 
the  prominent  manifestation  of  his  will?  To  save  sin- 
ners. 

(7.)  They  do  his  will. 

2.  Condition  of  his  friends  at  the  judgment  day. 
(1.)  His  glorious  appearance. 

(2.)  The  sweetness  of  his  voice. 
(3.)  His  protection  from  Divine  wrath,  as  every  idle 
thought  and  every  deed  is  brought  into  judgment. 
(4.)  The  blessed  find  sentence. 

3.  Condition  of  his  friends  in  eternity. 
(1.)  For  ever  with  the  Lord. 

(2.)  Never  sin  again.  Never  do  a  wrong  or  careless 
deed  again. 

(3.)  No  sickness  nor  sorrow. 

(4.)  Never  see  any  one  sin  again. 

5.  No  end  to  the  increasing  joy.  How  shall  any 
one  become  Christ's  friend? 

(1.)  It  is  described  as  believing. 

(2.)  As  a  reunion. 

(3.)  As  a  receiving.     All  invited. 


268  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

What  God  does  in  this  great  work  is  unknown  to  us. 
It  will  be  our  adoration  through  eternity  whether  we 
know  or  not.  What  we  do  is  very  simple.  We  fail 
because  it  is  so  little  more  than  because  it  is  so  much. 
"  Go  work." 

5.  Every  one  is  now  invited  to  become  his  friend. 

6.  The  dreadful  guilt  and  misery  of  those  who  re- 
fused to  become  Christ's  friend. 


MEETING  AT  THE  JUDGMENT. 

After  death  knowledge  of  many  things,  and  experi- 
ence not  had  here.  But  the  realities  of  the  judgment 
not  all  human.  Long  suspense 

(1.)  Of  the  wicked.  Fearful  forebodings.  Dreadful 
suspense  it  may  be. 

(2.)  Of  the  righteous.  Confidence  in  Christ  satisfies 
the  mind. 

The  judgment  will  come.  What  a  great  and  long 
meeting.  Who  will  there  meet  who  have  long  been 
separated?  Such  vivid  recollections,  who  could  bear? 
Those  who  lean  on  the  arm  of  Christ  can  bear  the 
same. 

1.  Cain  and  Abel. 

2.  Noah  and  the  men  who  reviled  him. 

3.  Abraham  and  those  whom  he  left  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees. 

4.  Esau  and  Jacob. 

5.  Lot  and  the  men  of  Sodom. 

6.  Pharaoh  and  Moses. 


INSTRUCTION'S.  269 


7.  David  and  Saul. 

8.  David  and  his  son  Absalom. 

9.  Ahab  and  Elijah. 

10.  Hezekiah  and  his  father  Ahaz. 

11.  Josiah  and  his  father  Amon. 

12.  Jeremiah  and  those  whom  he  warned  and  en- 
treated. 

13.  Stephen  and  his  persecutors. 

14.  Paul  and  his  persecutors. 

15.  Peter  and  Judas. 
Whom  will  you  meet? 

Your  father  ;  your  mother  ;  your  teachers  ;  your 
brothers  ;  your  sisters  ;  your  minister,  —  all  whom  you 
knew  on  earth  who  love  Christ.  Where  will  you 
be  ?  Where  will  you  go  ? 


SINNERS  SPENDING  WITH  RIOTOUS  LIVING. 

Luke  xv.     Describe  the  young  man. 

1.  Goods  spent.     Thoughts;   conversation;    heart; 
time  ;  intellectual   powers  ;  social  powers  ;  Sabbaths  ; 
seasons  for  prayer  ;  opportunities  to  repent  ;  offers  of 
mercy  ;  the  Bible  ;  the  preached  gospel  ;  special  calls 
of  Providence  ;  special  calls  of  the  Spirit  ;  the  love  of 
Christ. 

2.  Coming  to  himself. 

Describe  him  as  he  came  in  sight  of  his  father's 
mansion  ;  describe  the  father  ;  contrast  in  their  ap- 
pearance ;  faint  resemblance  of  the  contrast  between 
the  sinner  and  his  heavenly  Father  ;  fell  on  his  neck  ; 


L>70  RECOLLECTIONS  OP  MARY  Ll'O.V. 

what  if  the  son  had  then  turned  away  and  preferred  the 
love  of  harlots  to  his  father's  love.  "Would  not  such 
conduct  resemble  that  of  some  sinners  at  the  present 
day  ?  Apply  the  whole  to  those  present. 

vn. 

THE  STRAIT  GATE. 

First  meeting  of  the  school-year.  Remarks  about 
the  solemnity  of  our  position.  The  object  of  this 
meeting.  Interests  of  the  soul  to  be  sought  here. 

Various  states  of  mind. 

1.  Some  seem  to  have  no  state. 

2.  Possibly  a  few  may  have  a  great  aversion  to  all 
religion,  and  a  desire  to  be  left  alone  to  themselves. 

O  ' 

3.  Some  are  in  a  strait  between  religion  and  the 
world.     Worldly  pleasures,  worldly  companions,  and 
worldly  prospects  ever  more. 

4.  Some  have  a  general  wish  that  they  may  in  some 
way  become  Christians  ;  but  it  is  a  very  cold  wish. 

5.  Some  came  from  home  expecting  here  to  find  the 
pearl  of  great  price. 

6.  Some  perhaps  feel  constrained  and  urged  by  the 
Spirit  to  attend  to  the  subject  without  delay. 

Read  Matt.  vii.  13-29.  To  guide  you  through  this 
strait  gate,  and  into  this  narrow  way,  is  the  object  of 
this  meeting.  Looking  forward  forty  weeks,  what  will 
then  be  your  condition  ? 

"Who  present  wish  to  be  guided  into  this  narrow 
way  ?  With  such  I  will  leave  three  thoughts. 

1.  You  must  not  expect  others  to  do  that  which  God 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS,  271 

requires  of  you.     "Enter  ye."     He  that  is  mine  is 
mine  for  himself. 

2.  Nothing  relating  to  the  soul  should  be  deferred 
till  to-morrow  which  ought  to  be  done  to-day. 

3.  God  is  your  only  strength.     Go  to  him  —  depend 
on  him  —  ask  of  him.     Go  through  Christ. 

vm. 

TEACHINGS  OF  THE  SPIRIT  OH  THE  SUBJECT  OF  Sis. 
Rom.  vii.  7-15. 

1.  Sin  is  every- where  a  dreadful  evil. 

2.  The  holy  law  of  God,  against  which  sin  is  com- 
mitted. 

3.  The  displeasure  of  God  with  sin  and  sinners. 

4.  The  just  condemnation  of  the  sinner. 

5.  The   personal  application  of  the  guilt  of  sin  to 
one's  self. 

6.  The  application  of  the  condemnation  of  sin  to 
one's  self. 

7.  A  great  dread  and  loathing  of  sin. 

8.  A  fear  of  future  sin. 

9.  A  fear  of  continuing  to  sin  through  eternity. 

10.  Despair  of  strength  to  avoid  sin. 

11.  Despair  of  a  disposition  of  heart  to  avoid  sin. 

12.  A  personal  acquaintance  with  the  misery  of  the 
contest  between  conviction  of  duty  on  the  one  hand, 
and  no  heart  to  perform  it  on  the  other. 

13.  Perfect  helplessness  and  hopelessness  of  the  sin- 
ner's condition.     This  is  one  class. 

There  is'  another. 

1.  That  there  is  a  Friend  of  sinners. 


272  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LYOJf. 

2.  The   need  and  sufficiency  of  the  cleansing  and 
pardoning  blood  of  Christ. 

3.  The  almighty  Arm  which  can  reach  the  sinner's 
easel 

4.  The  personal  application  to  one's  self. 

5.  The  overwhelming  feeling  which  sometimes  fills 
the  soul  on  the  reception  of  salvation. 

6.  The  faint  glimmering  of  hope  in  Christ  which 
sometimes  enters  the  soul  and  continues  to  grow.     Oh, 
that  faint  glimmering  of  hope  !  how  unlike  despair  ! 

7.  A  relying  on  Christ  and  Christ  alone  for  strength 
to  forsake  sin  and  consecrate  one's  self  to  the  service 
of  Christ. 

IX. 

SEEKING  AN  INTEREST  IN  CHRIST. 

Isaiah  Iv.  1-3,  6,  7,  8 ;  Matt.  vii.  7,  8,  13,  14. 

1.  If  you  ever  do  this  you  must  make  up  your  mind 
to  begin. 

2.  One  time  is  more  favorable  than  another. 

3.  The  favorable  time  is  known  to  God. 

4.  It  is  not  known  to  us. 

5.  The  dreadful  condition  of  those  who  have  passed 
and  lost  the  best  time. 

6.  The  daily  danger  of  meeting  and  passing  the 
most  favorable  time.     The  present  is  the  most  favor- 
able time  you  will  ever  meet. 

(a)  Circumstances. 

1.  You  are  here. 

2.  You  were  led  to  think  of  it  before  you  came. 

3.  You  have  been  invited  here. 


SABDATH-EVEN1NQ  INSTRUCTIONS.  273 

4.  God  has  called  you  by  his  voice. 

5.  God  is  now  calling  you. 
(6)  Your  condition. 

1.  Your  depravity. 

2.  Your  sin. 

3.  Your  miserable  condition  in  yourselves. 

4.  Your  dependence  on  God. 

5.  The  salvation  promised  by  Christ, 

6.  The  necessity  of  being  born  again. 

7.  The  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

8.  The  conviction  of  your  own  conscience. 

9.  The  present  thoughts  now  in  your  minds. 

10.  The  present  moving  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Will  you  seek  now  ? 


SEEKING  THE  LORD. 
Isaiah  i.  1-20. 

1 .  A  work  of  great  simplicity. 

2.  A  work  of  great  sincerity. 

3.  A  work  alone  with  God. 

4.  A  salvation  for  yourselves  as  you  are ;  not  as 
you  are  not. 

5.  Such  a  salvation  as  is  provided,  and  not  such  as 
is  imagined. 

XI. 

CUBIST  CRUCIFIED. 

This  is  an  appropriate  subject  to  consider  at  this 
time ;  the  Holy  Spirit  now  present.  It  is  adapted  to 
every  class  among  us. 

18 


274  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

1.  God  so  loved  the  world. 

2.  His  only  begotten  Son  was  equal  with  the  Father. 

3.  From  all  eternity  Christ  had  this  plan  of  salva- 
tion before  his  infinite  mind. 

4.  He  never  turned  aside  from  his  work. 

5.  In  the  fullness  of  time  he  came  into  this  world. 

6.  His  whole  temporal  life  given  to  this  work. 

7.  As  the  last  scenes  approached  he  kept  his  eye  on 
this  great  work. 

8.  The  last  interview  with  his  disciples. 

9.  The  garden  scene. 

10.  The  scene  before  his  murderers. 

11.  The  scene  on  the  cross. 

12.  His  giving  up  the  ghost. 

13.  His  rising  from  the  dead. 

14.  His  ascension. 

15.  His  being  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God  to 
make  intercession  for  us.     For  whom  ?    Among  others 
for  us  here. 

{a)  Those  who  have  recently  been  born  again. 
(6)  Those  who  feel  anxious  for  their  souls. 

(c)  Those  who  desire  to  be  interested  more  deeply 
than  they  are. 

(d)  Those  who  care  not  for  their  doings. 

His  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  His  farewell  to 
his  enemies.  His  welcome  to  his  followers.  Their 
ascension  with  him  to  heaven.  The  gates  of  heaven 
shut.  The  song  in  heaven  of  redeeming  love.  The 
mingling  of  the  angelic  host.  The  certainty  of  the 
eternal  presence  of  Christ.  Oblivion  of  his  enemies. 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  275 

xn. 

CHOOSING  THE   LORD. 
Josh.  xxiv.  15  ;  Heb.  iii.  7,  8. 

1.  What  to  choose  between?    Belief  in  Christ  or 
unbelief. 

2.  Love  of  forgetting  sin  or  the  pleasure  of  pardoned 
ein. 

3.  Worldly  pleasure  or  self-denial  for  Christ's  sake. 

4.  Strength  of  Christ  —  weakness  of  self. 

5.  Bearing  one's  own  sins,  or  having  them  borne 
by  Christ. 

6.  Presence  of  Christ  in  the  closet,  or  alone  without 
any  access  to  God. 

7.  Rejoicing  in  the  salvation  of  souls,  or  an  unhap- 
py feeling  in  having  any  one  saved. 

8.  Desiring  a  revival,  or  a  dread  lest  there  should 
be  one. 

9.  A  pleasure  in  meeting  Christians,  or  a  dread  of 
having  any  one  speak  to  you. 

10.  Christ's  presence  through  all  this  dark  world,  or 
a  wandering  alone. 

11.  Christ's    presence   as   death    approaches,  or  a 
dread  of  death. 

12.  Christ's  presence  in  the  last  struggle,  or  passing 
alone  through  the  solemn  scene. 

13.  Being  received  to  Abraham's  bosom,  or  lifting 
up  the  eyes  being  in  torments. 


276  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LTON. 

xm. 

8OVEBEIGNTT  OF    GOD. 

Luke  x.  8-16,  21. 

In  governing  the  visible  and  invisible  world ;  espe- 
cially in  the  invisible  work  of  grace  in  the  heart. 

1.  This  doctrine  a  very  solemn  subject. 

2.  Peculiarly  suited  to  excite  gratitude. 

8.  Sovereign  work  carried  on  by  gradual  steps. 

Three  stages. 

(1.)  The  state  of  being  called. 

(2.)  The  turning  state. 

(3.)  The  fixed  state,  unchangeable. 

First  state  ;  offers  of  mercy  free.  No  decree  makes 
it  necessary  to  be  lost.  Raised  to  heaven  in  point  of 
privilege.  Children  of  God  invited  to  labor  and  pray 
—  the  mind  led  along  —  they  may  be  saved. 

Second  state  ;  often  known  only  to  God.  A  final 
fixing  of  the  soul.  A  final  crisis. 

(a)  Of  the  believing ;  they  caja  never  be  lost.  They 
will  have  a  willing  mind  in  God's  service,  and  they  will 
persevere.  God  knows  who  are  his.  We  can  onlj* 
know  by  striving  to  make  our  calling  and  election 
sure ;  by  continually  striving  to  enter  into  the  strait 
gate. 

(6)  The  dreadful  condition  of  the  wicked.  Given 
over  of  God.  Christians  may  have  no  heart  to  pray. 
They  may  do  wrong,  but  it  is  a  providence  of  God. 
God  in  his  providence  may  say,  pray  not  for  them. 
They  may  neglect  to  labor  for  them.  Here  they  may 
do  wrong.  But  in  God's  providence  he  may  say,  turn 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  277 

from  them,  and  shake  off  the  dust  of  your  feet  as  a  tes- 
timony against  them. 

Third  state. 

(1.)  Becoming  more  like  Christ. 

(2.)  Approaching  nearer  to  their  home  with  him. 

(3.)  Receiving  more  assurances  of  his  love. 

(4.)  They  can  never  fail  of  grace  —  can  never  be 
lost. 

The  wicked. 

(1.)  Given  up  of  God. 

(2.)  More  and  more  hardened  and  senseless. 

(3.)  Approaching  nearer  their  final  doom. 

(4.)  They  will  never  be  saved. 

Mistake  about  the  second  state. 

Sometimes  very  long  and  sometimes  very  short. 

Some  persons  think  themselves  in  the  third  when 
they  are  in  the  second.  It  makes  them  reckless. 
Seek  salvation  now. 


xiv. 

THE  NEW  SONG. 

• 

Rev.  v.  9. 

Christ  and  his  work  for  us. 

1 .  He  has  died  for  us. 

2.  He  has  given  us  his  Spirit. 

3.  He  has  adopted  us  as  his  own. 

4.  He  has  forgiven  us  all  our  sins. 

5.  He  has  engaged  himself,  and  all  he  has,  in  our 
behalf. 

6.  He  will  give  us  his  presence. 


278  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LTOX. 

7.  He  will  give  us  his  sympathy. 

8.  He  will  allow  us  to  partake  in  all  which  he  has 
and  does. 

9.  He  will  never  leave  us. 

10.  He  will  stand  by  us  in  death. 

11.  He  will  shield  us  at  the  judgment  day. 

12.  He  will  take  us  home  to  glory. 

13.  He  will  teach  us  the  new  song. 

14.  He  will  reconcile  us  to  our  eternal  separation 
from  friends. 

:xrv. 

THE  WAILING  OF  DESPAIK. 

Matt.  xiii.  47-50. 

Like  the  new  song,  the  wailing  will  enhance  the  re- 
membrance of  the  past,  and  the  truth  of  the  pres- 
ent. 

1.  Christ's  love  to  them/when  on  earth  —  that  slight- 
ed love. 

2.  His  agony  and  death  to  save  them. from  their  pres- 
ent (Jreadful  state. 

3.  His   calling  them,  and  following  them  with  his 
entreaties  of  love. 

4.  His  sending  the  Holy  Spirit  to  urge  them  to  re- 
pentance. 

5.  His  yearnings  of  compassion  over  them,  as  he 
saw  them  rushing  down  td  death. 

6.  The  destruction  of  all  excuses.      The   dreadful 
thought  and  feeling,  "  I  could  have  been  saved." 

7.  The  remembrance  of  all  friends  in  heaven. 

8.  Of  the  final  separation. 


SABDATH-EVENINO  INSTRUCTIONS.  279 

9.  Of  that  eternal  banishment.      But  the  present, 
what  is  it  in  the  breast? 

1.  Hatred. 

2.  Self-condemnation,  remorse. 

3.  Despair. 

4.  Never  to  end  —  never  to  change. 

5.  The  conviction  that  the  love  of  God  demands  this 
endless  punishment. 

6.  Submission  of  friends  in  heaven. 

7.  The  gratitude  of  those  in  heaven,  as  they  see  the 
smoke  of  the  torment  ascend  up,  for  ever  and  ever. 


XVI. 

INTERESTING  CHAPTER  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  PAUL. 

1  Cor.  ix.  13-27. 

1.  The  general  principle,  that  ministers  should  be 
supported. 

2.  He   did  not   claim  this   for  himself.     He   must 
preach  the  gospel  without  reference  to  the  earthly  re- 
ward. 

3.  His  condescension  to  all. 

4.  His  fear  that  he  might  be  a  castaway,  after  all. 

5.  His  striving  against  the  world,  that  he  might  not 
be  a  castaway. 

Instruction  to  us. 

1.  What  a  dreadful  thing  to  be  a  castaway. 

2.  Danger  of  being  a  castaway. 


280  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOA'. 

(1.)  To  every  one.  The  most  established  Chris- 
tian. 

(2.)  To  the  lambs  of  the  fold.  Those  who  doubt 
whether  they  are  Christ's  lambs  by  his  converting 
Spirit,  or  only  by  his  convicting  Spirit.  These  have 
cause  to  fear. 

(3.)  To  those  who  have  no  hope,  how  very  great  is 
your  danger !  I  look  on  you  and  inquire,  Will  these 
have  any  place  in  heaven?  Shall  I  meet  them?  Shall 
I  be  there  myself? 

3.  Vast  importance  of  resisting  worldly  temptation. 
We  think  of  the  sovereign  grace  of  God,  and  we  think 
right.  But  the  sovereign  grace  of  God  includes 
means.  In  the  efficacy  of  means,  he  exhibits  his  sov- 
ereignty. He  has  no  need  of  means,  he  could  set  all' 
aside.  To  all  how  important,  believers  and  unbe- 
lievers. 

(1.)  Resist  bodily  temptation,  affectation,  love  of 
ease,  dread  of  pain. 

(2.)  Resist  worldly  friendships  and  intimacies. 

(3.)  Resist  temptations  of  your  own  heart,  dread 
of  being  watchful,  love  of  excitement,  and  of  follow- 
ing it. 

(4.)  Love  of  approbation  of  others.  Remember 
Christ's  words,  Matt.  v.  29,  30. 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  281 

-X.V11. 

THE  BUBDEN  OF  SIN— PAST,  PRESENT,  AND  FUTURE. 

Ezek.  xvi.  1-13;  53-63 

1.  Convictions  of  impenitent,  only  partial. 
(1.)  No  light  from  Calvary. 

(2.)  Present  sin  no  great  burden. 
(3.)  Outward  reform  sufficient. 

2.  Some  hopeful  persons  are  in  the  dark. 
(1.)  Dark  in  hope. 

(2.)  Dark  in  view  of  Christ. 

I  should  love  to  stop  and  dwell  on  Christ.  His 
undying  condescension.  His  unparalleled  sufferings. 
His  present  glory. 

(3.)  Dark  in  view  of  sin. 

3.  But  not  so  all. 

(1.)  The  light  of  Calvary  shines. 

(2.)  In  this  light  what  a  dreadful  burden  is  sin. 

(a)  What  a  great  sinner  I  have  been. 

(6)  What  a  great  sinner  I  now  am. 

(c)  How  I  dread  future  sins ;  I  know  I  have  an  Ad- 
vocate ;  I  can  not  abuse  him. 

(<X)  How  I  long  for  complete  deliverance.  Oh,  to 
be  holy ! 

Many  a  one,  on  a  dying  bed,  looks  to  death  as  the 
happy  deliverance  from  sin. 


282  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

JS.V11I. 
BEVIEW  OF  THE  PAST. 

Deut.  xxx.  11-20. 

The  last  Sabbath  evening  of  the  term. 

1.  My  responsibility  to  you, — to   God   rather  for 
you. 

2.  My  conscious  fidelity,  and  my  great  unworthi- 
ness. 

3.  Contrast  between  our  first   and  our   last  meet- 
ing. 

(1.)  The  anticipation ;  that  of  myself  and  you.  My 
work  in  prospect  —  your  anticipations  ;  to  some  a  priv- 
ilege, to  some  a  burden. 

(2.)  Now  it  is  done,  it  is  like  death.  So  death  will 
come. 

4.  What  hath  God  wrought? 

5.  How  has  God  been  resisted? 

6.  Death  will  come  upon  us  like  this  meeting, — 
some  in  readiness  ;  some  like  the  foolish  virgins  ;  some 
without  God. 

7.  You  hear  my  voice  for  the  last  time ;  the  last 
time  of  Christ's  voice. 

8.  I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death. 

9.  I  give  you  one  more  invitation,  one  more  entreaty 
to  the  impenitent. 

10.  I  exhort    all  who  indulge  a  hope  of   salva- 
tion. 


X'IXG  IXSTJH  CTIOXS.  283 


SATAN'S  GRAND  TEMPTATION. 

Gen.  ii.  8-17  ;  iii.  1-13. 

Thou  shalt  not  surely  die. 

A  very  solemn  and  awful  state  to  be  without  hope 
in  Christ.  A  question  of  infinite  importance,  How 
shall  I  escape  ? 

God  is  saying,  Do  this  and  thou  shalt  find  salvation  ; 
neglect,  and  thou  shalt  surely  die. 

The  difficulty  of  embracing  true  religion. 

There  are  great  difficulties.  God  says  you  must 
begin,  notwithstanding. 

Satan  says  you  can  not 

What  are  these  difficulties? 

1.  The  coldness  of  feeling. 

2.  The  hardness  of  feeling. 

3.  The  difficulty  of  thinking. 

4.  The  difficulty  of  praying. 

5.  The  difficulty  of  repenting. 

6.  The  difficulty  of  believing. 

With  reference  to  time,  God  says  now,  or  thou  shalt 
surely  die.     Satan  says,  Thou  shalt  not  die. 
With  reference  to  religion  itself. 
It  is  simple,  —  simplicity  of  the  gospel. 
It  is  direct,  —  believe  and  thou  shalt  be  saved. 
It  humbles  self,  and  magnifies  God. 
It  puts  self  out  of  sight,  exalts  God  as  all. 
It  is  not  of  works. 
This,  an  important  truth,  always  brought  before  the 


;>  1  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  T  L  TO\. 

conscience  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  always   strenuously  op- 
posed by  Satan.     This  the  grand  difficulty. 


XX. 

PENITENCE  FOB  Sur. 

Luke  vii.  36-50 ;  xviii.  9-14. 

1.  Impenitence  most  unreasonable. 

2.  Impenitence  greatly  increases  the  sinner's  guilt. 

3.  Penitence  an  easy  duty. 

4.  But  penitence  is  the  gift  of  God.     (The  fruits 
of  the  Spirit.) 

5.  The  penitent  feels  himself   to  be  the   greatest 
sinner.     "We  could  not  be  penitent  and  have  any  other 
feeling. 

(a)  Because  he  sees  the  internal  source  of  his  own 
sin.  We  can  see  nothing  in  the  vilest  wretch  to  equal 
it. 

(6)  He  sees  the  internal  aggravating  circumstances 
of  his  own  sin,  and  he  can  see  nothing  in  any  other 
one  equal  to  it. 

(c)  His  reason  or  philosophy  can  never  prove,  till 
all  hearts  are  revealed,  that  he  is  not  what  he  feels 
himself  to  be  —  the  very  highest  in  the  scale  of  sin- 
ners. 

6.  There    are    all    degrees  of  penitence,  from  the 
faintest  —  scarcely  dreamed  by  the  soul  itself — to  the 
most  overwhelming. 

7.  Penitence  of  the  penitent  is  ever  increasing. 

8.  Penitence  is  greatly  increased  by  an   assurance 
of  forgiveness 


SABBATH-EVENING  INSTRUCTIONS.  285 

9.  The  true  penitent  will  fix  his  eye  on  God  —  an 
injured  God,  a  forgiving  God  —  more  than  on  self; 
guilty,  polluted  self. 

xx  r. 

THE  HOLT  SPIBIT. 

John  xvi.  7-15  ;  iii.  1-12.  Connection  of  his  work 
with  Christ. 

1.  He  is  too  holy  to  come  to  the  heart  of  the  sin- 
ner only  by  the  cross. 

2.  Christ  must  go  before,  and  finish  his  suffering, 
atoning  work. 

3.  He  must  appear  before  the  Godhead  and  plead 
his  death,  and  thus  send  the  Spirit.     "  He  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession." 

4.  He  teaches  about  Christ.     He,  who  was  as  a  root 
out  of  dry  ground,  becomes  altogether  lovely. 

The  teaching  of  the  Spirit  of  great  importance  to 
every  one. 

1.  Without  this  there  is  no  possible  hope. 

2.  The  Spirit  can  be  grieved  away. 

3.  He  comes  not  at  our  call. 

None  will  call  for  him  when  he  is  away. 

4.  We  know  not  when  he  is  present  always,  but  we 
can  see  his  work ;  and  we  can  feel  that  he  was  here, 
and  has  gone,  and  left  his  great  work,  himself  unseen. 

5.  The  work  of  the  Spirit  is  often  the  gentle  whis- 
per.   Listen  to  the  faintest  whisper. 


28C  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LTON. 

TTTC  II. 

ELECTING  LOVE  OF  GOD. 

Eph.  i.  1-12 ;  ii.  1-10.  Electing  love,  no  electing 
hate. 

God  elects  for  heaven  —  sinners  elect  themselves  for 
hell. 

This  a  truth  of  great  solemnity,  sublimity,  and  of 
power. 

To  many  a  source  of  death  unto  death.  This  ac- 
cording to  a  general  principle. 

1.  Some  led  to  neglect  the  Bible. 

2.  Some  to  become  infidels. 

3.  Some  to  give  up  seeking  religion.     To-morrow 
we  die. 

4.  Some  to  entertain  hard  thoughts  of  God.     They 
look  not  on  God's  electing  love,  but  they  think  of  him 
as  electing  them  to  misery.    But  it  has  proved  a  source 
of  life  unto  many. 

1.  Some  have  been  led  to  fear  to  contend  against 
such  a  God. 

2.  Some  have  been  aroused  from  stupidity  by  this 
truth. 

3.  Some  cavilers  have  been  silenced,  —  have  feared 
to  speak  and  think,  and  so  have  stood  still  and  sub- 
mitted to  God. 

4.  Some  have  been  led  to  fear  to  trust  to  their  own 
future  efforts,  —  have  seen  their  lost  and  helpless  con- 
dition. 

5.  Some  have  seen  the  love  of  God. 


MORXIXG  AND  EVENING  SEItriCES. 

6.  Some  have  been  aroused  from  a  state  of  almost 
despair. 

They  thought  they  had  sinned  away  the  (lay  of 
grace,  but  their  thoughts  of  a  day  of  grace  had  not 
been  measured  by  the  electing  love  of  God. 

7.  Some  who  have  thought  their  case  peculiar. 

8.  Some  who  have  almost  ventured  to  hope  in  Christ 
have,  by  this,  been  led  to  trust. 


OUTLINES    OF    ADDRESSES    AT    MORNING    AND 
EVENING  SERVICES. 


KESPECT  AND  HONOR  OF  PARENTS. 

Eph.  vi.  1-3. 

Honor  them  when  they  are  absent  or  dead. 

1.  By  pleasing  your  teacher. 

2.  Doing  what  will  meet  their  wishes  when  absent. 

3.  By  avoiding  folly  of  all  kinds. 

4.  By   choosing   such  companions  as  your  parents 
would  choose  for  you. 

5.  By  faithfulness  in  all  things. 

6.  By  becoming  valuable  members  of  this  family. 

7.  By  serving  the  Lord. 

Begin  now,  is  my  serious  advice. 


288  RECOLLECTIONS  OP  MAR  Y  L  I'O-V. 

n. 

THE  LAW  OF  GOD. 

Matthew  xxii.  35-40. 

Two  great  commandments.  The  perfections  of  this 
law. 

1.  Its  correspondence  with  eternal  right. 

2.  Its  agreement  with  the  holy  character  of  God. 

3.  Its  agreement  with  human  conscience. 
1.  Its  agreement  with  the  glory  of  God. 

5.  Its  agreement  with  the  happiness  of  man. 

How  made  known  ? 

Originally  by  being  written  on  the  mind  and  heart. 
Rom.  i.  18-21 ;  ii.  11-16. 

This  beautiful  law  obliterated  and  darkened  by  de- 
pravity and  sin. 

Its  holy  obedience  all  gone,  but  not  all  of  its  im- 
pressions. 

The  image  of  God  in  its  holiness  gone  —  all  gone  ; 
but  a  remnant  of  his  real  image  remains  in  the  mind 
and  heart  of  every  one. 

The  law  given  us  again  by  a  new  revelation  through 
Christ,  the  light  of  the  world. 

The  Bible  is  a  transcript  of  God's  holy  law.  The 
most  condensed  summary  is  the  Ten  Commandments. 
All  who  love  God,  love  his  holy  laws.  Those  who  hate 
God,  hate  his  holy  laws. 

Read  Psalm  cxix.  How  many  times  repeated  :  Thy 
law  —  thy  precepts  —  thy  word  —  thy  statutes  —  thy 
judgments  —  thy  commandments  —  thy  ways. 


XORNiyG  ANDE  VEXIXG  SER  VICES.  289 

m. 

REASONS  FOB  STAKING  A  PUBLIC  PROFESSION. 

Matt,  xxviil.  19,  20 ;  Mark  xvi.  12 ;   Luke  xii.  1-9 ; 
Acts  ii.  37,  38  ;  xxii.  16. 

1.  The  honor  of  God  demands  it.    Essential  to  hon- 
oring God  before  men. 

2.  The   authority   of  God   demands  it.      A   great 
change  in  the  institutions  of  God  since  Abraham's  day. 
All  religious  ceremonies  positive.     The  form  not  inv 
portant,  but  the  thing  essential.     God  blesses  every 
form  when  the  doctrine  is  evangelical.      The  belief 
that  this  is  not  important  can  not  be  remedied  in  an}' 
plan  by  any  degree  of  piety. 

3.  Peace  of  conscience  requires  it. 

4.  No  one  can  be  for  Christ  in  the  protracted  neglect 
of  this  duty.     They  must  be  against  him. 

5.  God  will  not  bless  the  labors  of  those  who  live  in 
this  neglect. 

6.  Whoever  lives  in  the  continued  neglect  of  this 
duty  must  destroy  instead  of  saving  souls. 

Objection. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  am  a  Christian.    This  can  not 
be  admitted  as  an  excuse. 

19 


290  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  Y  L  1O.V. 

XV. 

HATRED  TO  CHRIST. 

John  xv.  18-27. 

1.  Universality  of  this  hatred. 

2.  Manifested  by  opposition  and  neglect. 

3.  The  principal  channel  for  pouring  forth  hatred  to 
the  Father.     Christ's  words,  "  if  ye  had  known  me  ye 
should  have  known  my  Father." 

4.  Hatred  for  Christ's  sake  —  to  God  —  to  his  law 

—  to  his  love  —  to  the  disciples  of  Christ. 

5.  Exciting  cause  of  hatred — "had  not  known  sin" 

—  comparatively. 

6.  No  excuse  left  by  Christ  for  sin.   JMouth  stopped. 
And  why  ? 

(1.)  Because  Christ  bears  our  sins  for  us.  No 
pleading  weakness,  or  ignorance,  or  thoughtlessness,  or 
circumstances.  No  seeking  thus  to  escape. 

(2.)  Because  Christ  is  our  advocate  with  the  Father. 

(3.)  Because  Christ  washes  our  robes  in  his  blood. 

(4.)  Because  Christ  is  ready  to  strengthen  us  to  for- 
sake sin. 

(5.)  Because  Christ  will  finally  present  us  spotless 
before  the  throne  (not  we  ourselves). 

7.  Hatred  to  Christ  because  he  removes  the  excuse 
for  sin. 

8.  Hatred  to  Christ  without  a  cause. 

9.  Hatred  to  Christ  because  he  is  their  best  friend 
And  why? 


AXD  EVEXIXG  srnncEs.  291 


(1.)  They  are  enemies  to  their  own  souls,  and  they 
hate  Christ  because  he  loves  their  souls. 

(2.)  They  seek  to  destroy  their  own  souls,  and  they 
hate  Christ  because  he  seeks  to  save  them. 

(3.)  They  love  Satan  because  he  unites  with  them 
in  hating  their  souls. 

(4.)  They  love  Satan  because  he  unites  with  them 
in  destroying  their  souls. 

10.  They  hate  Christ  because  of  his  unspeakable 
love,  amazing  condescension,  and  his  glorious  work 
of  salvation. 

How  dreadful  is  hatred  to  Christ  T 


LIVING  TO  GOD  AND  LIVING  TO  THE  WORLD. 

Rom.  vi.  1-16 ;   xii.   1 ;    1  Cor.   vi.  19,  20 ;    x.    31 ; 
Phil.  i.  19-23. 

Doing  our  common  business  for  the  Lord  or  against 
him. 

1 .  With  prayer  —  without  prayer. 

2.  With  the  feeling,  "  If  the  Lord  will,"  —  without 
this  feeling. 

3.  With  the  impression  that  this  earth  is  the  Lord's 
and  the  fullness  thereof —  and  without  it. 

4.  With   a  connection  in   our  feeling   between  the 
commands  of  God  and  a  perfect  standard  of  doing  what 
we  undertake  —  and  without  this. 

5.  With  the  feeling  that  eternity  is  the  end  of  every 
thing  in  time  —  and  without  this. 


292  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR Y  L  FCLV. 

VI. 

PBATEB  OF  FAITH. 

Praying  this  prayer  for  our  own  family. 
What  to  pray  for? 

1.  That  here  may  abide  the  manifest  presence  of 
God. 

2.  That  every  person  may  be  brought  under  the  con- 
trol of  this  influence. 

3.  That   every   action    and    every    event    may  be 
brought  under  the  control  of  this  influence. 

4.  That  all  the  souls  here  may  be  saved. 

5.  That  all  doubting  souls  may  be  delivered  from 
bondage. 

6.  That  real  Christians  "  may  be  holy  as  God  is 
holy." 

7.  That  as  a  family  we  may  advance  in  the  divine 
life.     This  felt  in  recess  meetings  —  in  morning  devo- 
tions —  on  the  Sabbath  —  during  recreation  day. 

How  shall  we  seek  this  spirit  of  prayer — this  prayer 
of  faith? 

1.  By  looking  at  the  subject  as  an  important  reality. 

2.  By  living  with  the  solemnities  of  eternity  in  our 
hearts. 

3.  By  giving  up  our  own  souls  to  God. 

4.  By  opening  our  hearts  to  receive  Jesus  Christ. 

5.  By  abiding  in  Jesus  Christ. 

6.  By  following  in  the  footsteps  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Finally,  let  us  seek  first  of  all  to  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Jesus  Christ  —  to  live  as  he  did  —  to  walk  as 
he  walked  —  to  pray  as  he  prayed  —  to  suffer  with 
him,  if  need  be,  as  he  suffered. 


MORXIXG  AND  E  VEXING  SERVICES.  293 

• 

•VH. 

CHRISTIAN  FELLOWSHIP. 
John  x.  11-16  ;  xiv.  20  ;  xvii.  9-11,  20-24. 

1.  Union  together  in  Christ  the  most  exalted  union 
among  created  beings. 

2.  A  principle  destined  to  grow. 

3.  It  must  grow  by  nourishment,  —  not  by  medicine, 
but  by  nourishment  enjoyed  and  relished  in  the  par- 
taking. 

This  nourishment  is,  — 

1.  Sympathy  together  with  Christians  through  their 
Head. 

2.  United  worship. 

3.  United  efforts. 

4.  Choosing  the  society  of  Christians.    Especially  in 
choosing  intimate  friends,  principle  must  take  the  place 
of  feeling. 

5.  Thanking  God,  as  Paul  did,  for  all  their  good. 
1  Cor.  xiii.  4-7. 


SELF-EXAMINATION. 

Eph.  ii.  1-10  ;  19-22. 

Have  we  evidence  of  being  reconciled  to  God  ? 
Kind,  rather  than  degree,  decisive. 
1  .  A  humble  and  contrite  heart.     Every  iota  in  the 
holy  life  of   a  Christian  casts  light  on  himself,  and 


^'J4  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

sinks  him  lower  in  his^  own  view,  and  gives  him  new 
views  of  himself  as  a  sinner. 

2.  A  believing  heart  on  Jesus  Christ. 
(1.)  As  the  Saviour. 

(2.)  As  my  Saviour. 

Every  thing  sets  forth  the  Saviour  —  sin,  holiness, 
my  sins,  my  feeble  efforts  in  his  service. 

3.  A  subdued  spirit. 

The  preciousness  of  being  and  feeling  subdued  under 
God. 

4.  Desire  for  the  glory  of  God  in  salvation. 

5.  A   subduing  of   all   things  in   our  hearts  unto 
Christ. 

Our  joys  and  our  sorrows ;  our  hopes  and  our  fears  ; 
our  present  delights  and  our  future  prospects. 

6.  A  hungering  and  thirsting  after  holiness  of  heart 
and  life. 

Groaning  under  sin,  and  longing  to  be  delivered 
from  easily  besetting  sins  ;  from  sins  in  little  things  ; 
from  sins  unseen  by  others ;  from  sins  not  esteemed 
sins  by  others. 

7.  A  spiritual  conscientiousness. 

8.  An  impress  of  eternity  on  temporal  things. 


rx. 

CHRIST  THE  GRAND  MOVING  POWER  vx  SELF-DENIAL  FOR  CHRIST'S 

SAKE. 

Book  of  Hebrews  abounds  in  this  motive :    iii.  1-6  ; 
xii.  1-11 ;  xiii.  12-14. 
Applied  to  giving  money. 


MOIIMM;  A.\I>  KVESIXU  SKU  VICES.  295 


That  we  may  abound,  be  steadfast,  immovable,  in- 
creasing, and  advancing  —  let  us  look  at  Christ. 

1.  A  view  of  what  Christ  has  done  alone  can  give 
us  that  love  of  others  which  we  must  have. 

2.  Having  a  love  of  others  like  Christ's  love,   we 
must  look  at  him  to  feel  the  worth  of  their  souls. 

(1.)  Through  the  light  of  Christ's  agony  we  get  a 
glimpse  of  hell. 

(2.)  Through  the  light  of  Christ's  agony  we  get  a 
glimpse  of  heaven. 

3.  Looking  at  Christ's  work  can  give  us  confidence 
that  we  are  right. 

4.  Looking  at  Christ  can  give  a  spiritual  interest  in 
our  work. 

5.  Looking  to  Christ  will  give  us  strength  to  bear 
poverty  —  the  want  of  all  things. 

6.  Looking  at  Christ  will  make  us  willing  to  bear  the 
reproach. 

There  is  a  reproach  —  a  reproach  that  can  be  felt. 
This  is  a  trial,  the  end  of  which  you  will  not  meet  in 
this  world.  You  climb  and  gain  one  peak  only  to  dis- 
cover a  new  one. 

But,  7.  Looking  to  Christ  will  give  us  respect  to  the 
final  reward.  Through  Christ  we  can  behold  the  joy 
set  before  us  —  the  crown  of  rejoicing. 

x. 

CHKIST'S  PRAYER  FOR  HIS  DISCIPLES. 
John  xvii. 

1.  The  fact.     Christ  at  prayer. 

(1.)  Who  is  it?    Infinite  condescension. 


2'.'C  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LTON. 

(2.)  For  whom?    Wonderful  grace. 

2.  Pleas  used  by  Christ. 

(1.)  They  were  given  to  him  of  God  the  Father. 
(2.)  Christ  had  manifested  his  name  to  them. 
(3.)  Their  union  with  God  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
(4.)  Christ  glorified  in  them. 

3.  Particulars  of  this  prayer. 

(1.)  That  they  may  be  kept  and  not  lost.  Why 
shall  we  not  fall  as  Adam  did  ?  Why  not  fall  as  the 
angels  did  ? 

(2.)  That  they  may  be  kept  from  the  evil  of  the 
world.  When  you  pray  for  this,  think  of  Christ's 
prayer. 

(3.)  That  they  may  be  sanctified  through  the  truth. 

(4.)  That  their  joy  may  be  fulfilled. 

The  glory  of  salvation  unfolded  in  this  prayer. 

1.  Their  union  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

2.  Their  like  union  with  each  other. 

3.  Comparison  between  their  relation  to  Christ  and 
Christ's  relation  to  God:  v.  18,  21,  22,  23,  26. 

4.  Christ,  as  God,  wills  in  their  behalf. 

The  Godhead  vailed,  but  uncovered  at  the  close  of 
this  prayer. 

XI. 

FEEDING  THE  LAMBS. 
John  xxi.  15-23. 

1.  What  is  it  to  feed  sheep  and  lambs? 

2.  Who  are  to  do  this  ?    All  —  the  weakest  believers. 
(1.)  This  agrees  with  the  whole  tenor  of  the  gospel 

system. 


MORNING  AND  EVENING  SERVICES.  297 

(2.)  It  agrees  with  the  experience  of  every  new- 
born soul. 

(3.)  It  agrees  with  the  experience  of  every  returning 
backslider. 

(4.)  It  agrees  with  the  experience  of  every  advanced 
Christian. 

3.  This  is  a  great  privilege. 

(1.)  To  deliver  immortal  beings  from  eternal  death. 

(2.)  To  give  them  a  place  with  the  redeemed. 

(3.)  Because  they  are  Christ's  lambs. 

a.  His  by  creation. 

6.  His  by  his  providence. 

c.  His  by  his  purchase. 

d.  His  because  he  is  seeking  their  salvation. 


xn. 

KILLING  THE  LAMBS. 

Ezekiel  xxxiii.  1-9. 

Contrast  to  the  command,  "  Feed  my  lambs." 
How?     1.  Neglect  of  the  heart.     God  looks  on  the 
heart  of  Christians  in  sending  the  Holy  Spirit. 

2.  Neglect  of  prayer. 

3.  Religious  deportment  deficient. 

4.  A  worldly  deportment  suited  to  draw  the  heart 
from  God. 

The  daily  deportment  a  channel  through  which 
God  bestows ,  or  withholds  his  blessings.  Confine  to 
one  prominent  point —  a  heedless,  trifling,  noisy  man- 
ner. 


298  KECOLLECTIOXS  OF  MART  LTON. 

Specify  —  rooms  —  spaceway  —  domestic  work  — 
dining  hall. 

The  sad  thought  of  having  destroyed  a  soul ! 

1.  It  is  like  Satan  and  not  like  God. 

2.  It  is  acting  in  opposition  to  the  God  whom  we 
love. 

3.  It  is  bringing  misery  upon  those  whom  we  love  as 
our  own  souls. 

4.  Their  blood  will  be  required  at  our  hand. 

5.  It  is  in  opposition  to  all  the  strongest  desires  of 
the  Christian's  heart. 

The  cause. 

1.  In  the  heart. 

2.  In  wrong  principles. 

3.  In  deficient  self-denial. 
Remedy  :  watch  and  pray. 


xm. 

FIRST  MEETING  OF  A  TERM. 

2  Peter  i. 

The  solemnity  of  our  present  position. 
My  responsibility  in  this  meeting. 
Your  responsibility. 
Your  duty  as  Christians. 
Seek  to  know  that  you  are  not  deceived. 
Do  this  by  proving  j'ourselves  to  be  Christians. 
1.  Before  God;  2.  To  yourself ;  3.  Toothers. 
This  the  natural  order  —  this  the  order  of  impor- 
tance. 


SERVICES.    .        299 


I  shall  reverse  the  order. 

To  others. 

How?     1.  By  general  manner. 

2.  Religious  aspect.    (1.)  Meetings;  (2.)  Sabbath; 
(3.)  Bible  lesson  ;  (4.)  Religious  conversation. 

3.  Serious  and  stable  character. 

4.  Consistent  character. 

5.  Benevolent  character  —  not  selfish. 

6.  Self-denial. 

7.  Resisting  temptation. 
To  yourselves. 

1.  By  having  a  conscience  void  of  offense. 

2.  By  feeling  your  own  unworthiness. 
(1.)  To  be  called  a  Christian. 

(2.)  To  be  allowed  to  be  faithful. 

3.  Labor  for  Christ. 

4.  Suffer  for  Christ. 

5.  Feel  a  confidence  in  God  —  an  unspeakable  trust. 

6.  Have  faith  in  Christ. 
Before  God. 

God  knows  ;  and  yet  say  to  him,  "  Thou  knowest 
all  things,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee." 


XIV. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  HOPE 

Heb.  xii.  1-24. 

To  be  left  to  doubt  is  one  of  the  greatest  chasten- 
in  gs  of  a  young  Christian. 

Reasons  why  some  are  thus  left  —  to  try  them. 


300  RECOLLECTIONS  OP  MARY  LYOX. 

1.  To  make  them  solemn. 

2.  To  make  them  humble. 

3.  To  make  them  love  the  gospel  for  its  own  sake. 
The  hope  —  instead  of  my  hope  —  should  often  fill  the 
mind. 

4.  To  prepare  them  to  entertain  and  give  a  consist- 
ent and  uniform  reason  for  the  hope  within  them. 

5.  To  prepare  them  to  be  stable  Christians ;    not 
changeable. 

6.  To  prepare  them  to  enter  on  a  Christian  life  as  a 
subject  of  trial  rather  than  of  enjoyment  —  of  tribula- 
tion —  patience. 

7.  To  prepare  them  to    labor  for  the  salvation  of 
others. 

8.  To  prepare  them  to  act  in  obedience  to  the  com- 
mands of  Christ  rather  than  according  to  their  own 
present  feelings. 


PRAYER  OF  FAITH  FOB  THE  HOLT  SPIRIT. 

Luke  xi.  1-13. 

1.  What  is  prayer?    Social  or  public  prayer?     Se- 
cret prayer? 

One  is  like  dwelling  in  the  outer  court ;  the  other 
like  entering  the  inner  temple.  None  enter  the  inner 
temple  who  are  not  found  in  the  outer  court. 

2.  Objects  of  prayer :  —  Every  want ;    every  grief ; 
every  anxiety ;    every  temptation ;    every  friend  and 
every  foe. 


AXD  Erzxis-G  srnricES.  301 


But  prayer  for  spiritual  blessings  for  ourselves  and 
others  is  the  essence  of  prayer. 

In  what  do  spiritual  blessings  consist  ? 

In  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Nothing  is  given  us 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  is  the  messenger.  He 
takes  of  the  things  of  Christ  and  gives  them  unto  us. 

3.  What  is  a  prayer  of  faith? 

General  faith  implies  confidence  —  trust  —  reliance 
—  belief  in  God  —  in  Christ. 

In  special  faith  the  heart  filled  with  great  truths. 
The  great  atonement  by  Christ  ;  the  infinite  ;  the  eter- 
nal condition  in  eternity  ;  the  helpless  condition  of 
men  ;  the  fullness  of  salvation  ;  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  ;  the  promises  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

4.  There  are  special  calls  for  a  special   prayer  of 
faith. 

The  disciples  at  Jerusalem;  providential  circum- 
stances ;  our  condition  in  this  Seminary  every  year  ; 
this  year. 


xvi. 

SALVATION  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  SINNED  AGAINST  GREAT  LIGHT. 

Ezekiel  xxxvi.  1-38. 

1.  Sinning  against   better  knowledge  a  great  dis- 
honor to  God. 

2.  Such  are  miserable  in  their  sins.     In  their  miser- 
able state  they  sin  the  more. 

3.  God  has  pity  on  them. 

4.  It  is  for  his  own  mercies'  sake. 


302  KECOLLEC T10NS  OF  MAR  Y  L  FCLV. 

5.  God's  name  greatly  glorified  in  the  salvation  of 
such  sinners. 

6.  An  inward,  not  an  outward,  change  simply. 

7.  An  outward  change,  also. 

8.  Such  pardoned   sinners   will    loathe   and   abhor 
themselves. 

9.  They  are  exhorted  to  be  ashamed  and  confounded. 

10.  When  such  are  forgiven,  others  will  know  that 
it  is  the  work  of  God. 

11.  God  will  be  inquired  of  to  do  it. 

XVJLt. 

WISDOM. 

Prov.  ii. 

1.  Be  wise  in  diligence. 

2.  In  self-control. 

3.  In  spending  your  time. 

4.  In  choice  of  companions. 

5.  In  conversation. 

6.  In  exercising  a  benevolent  disposition. 

7.  In  seeking  the  glory  of  God,  rather  than  your 
own  praise. 

8.  In  seeking  for  the  will  of  God,  rather  than  your 
own  will. 

9.  In  trusting  in  God  rather  than  in  yourself. 

10.  In  depending  on  Christ's  atoning  blood  for  free 
pardon. 

11.  In  seeking  for  heaven  rather  than  earth. 

12.  In  seeking  that  others  may  be  blessed,  instead 
of  thinking  of  yourself. 


AND  EVENING  SERII^ES.  ou3 


THE  GBEAT  CHOICE. 

Joshua  xxv.  14-27. 

A  very  important  subject  for  you  to  consider  at  this 
time,  and  to  attend  to  without  delay. 

1.  Because  the  subject  of  choice  is  infinitely  greater 
than  any  other.     It  is  a  choice  between  heaven  and 
hell.     What  is  this?     Think  of  hell.     The  light  of 
heaven  is  shut  out   from   some,  and  hell  opens   and 
shoots  forth  some  glimmerings  of  its  dreadful  fires. 
Think  of  its  intense  torments  —  of  its  eternal  damna- 
tion! 

2.  Because  all  will  not  be  saved. 

3.  Because  no  impenitent  sinner  can  have  any  prom- 
ise of  being  among  the  saved. 

4.  Because  the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things, 
and  can  not  be  trusted. 

5.  Because  you  are  claimed  and  sought  after  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  two  worlds. 

6.  Because  your  salvation  is  entirely  dependent  on 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

7.  Because  the  Holy  Spirit  has  special  seasons  for 
this  special  work  in  the  heart. 

8.  Because  the  Spirit  can  be  grieved. 

9.  Because  individuals  have  a  special  call  to  repent. 

10.  Because  God  is  now  present  here  by  his  Holy 
Spirit,  and  may,  for  aught  I  know,  and  for  aught  you 
know,  be  giving  you  this  special  call. 

11.  Because  there  is  great  danger  of  not  believing 


3^4  BECQLLECT10XS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

the  truth  taught  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  of  believ- 
ing a  lie  which  is  taught  by  Satan. 

12.  Because  God  has  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the 
wicked. 

13.  Because  there  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth. 


TTT1T- 

PRAYUIG  ALWAYS. 

1.  Pray  for  yourselves ;    for  yourself  as   an  indi- 
vidual.    Connect  your  prayer  with  your  duty  in  the 
great  work  of  converting  the  world.     What  does  God 
require  of  you,  and  what  should  you  be  to  do  it  ? 

2.  Pray  for  the  conversion  of  souls.     Connect  their 
conversion  with  their  future  work  in  the  conversion  of 
the  world. 

3.  Pray  for  the  continued  prevalence  of  religion  in 
our  family.      Look  at  the  example  of  Paul  in  this 
respect.      What  large  blessings  he  sought.      At  the 
example  of  Jesus  Christ.     Connect  this  with  the  con- 
version of  the  world.    God  often  connects  great  results 
with  small  things  done  in  sincerity  and  faith. 

4.  Pray  directly  for  the  conversion  of  the  world :  — 
1.  Dwell  on  the  promises  that  this  world  shall  be 

converted.     Read  them.     Pray  over  them. 

Pray  that  the  fulfillment  of  these  promises  may  be 
hastened.  Dwell  on  the  infinite  importance  that  they 
should  be  hastened.  Think  of  the  multitudes  who 
perish  every  year,  and  will  continue  to  perish  till  the 
promises  are  fulfilled.  What  will  the  fulfillment  be  to 


MORNING  AND  EVENING  SERVICES.  305 

them  when  it  comes  ?  Think  of  the  truth,  that  it  can 
be  hastened  by  prayer,  and  that  it  can  be  delayed  by 
unbelief. 

2.  Pray  for  the  prevalence  of  a  missionary  spirit. 
Pray  that  all  who  are  converted  may  be  converted  to 
the  missionary  work,  with  a  missionary  spirit.     How 
many  reasons  why  it  should  be  so.     It  was  so  with 
Paul.     Who  that  has  known  the  terrors  of  the  law  or 
the  love  of  Christ  can  but  have  a  missionary  spirit  ? 

3.  Pray  that  the  Spirit  of  God  may  be  poured  out  on 
all  Christians,  and,  by  the  light  that  shines  roundabout 
them,  they  may  see  the  importance  of  the  missionary 
work. 

4.  Pray  for  the  success  of  missionary  operations. 

5.  Pray  for   a    blessing   on    missionary   societies ; 
American  Board,  and  other  societies. 

6.  Pray  for  missionaries  themselves,  mentioning  them 
by  name. 

7.  Pray  for  particular  stations. 

8.  Pray  for  all  those  who  have  gone  from  this  Sem- 
inary, enumerating  each,  and  the  fields  where  they  are 
laboring.     Write  their  names. 

9.  Pray  for  all  who  are  laboring  at  home  in  an  emi- 
iieiit  degree,  either  personally  or  by  their  money. 

10.  Pray  for  a  universal  spirit  of  liberality,   and  a 
universal  spirit  of  prayer. 

20 


306  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOtf. 

XX. 

REGENERATION. 

John  iii.  1-11. 

1.  An  entire  change. 
(1.)  Not  of  the  mind. 

(2.)  But  of  the  religious  character. 

2.  The  figures  new  birth  —  raising  from  the  dead. 

3.  As  great  as  any  miracle. 

4.  Not  very  obvious  always  to  the  individual,  but  to 
God. 

5.  Manifestations  of   increase   of    grace    like    the 
growth  of  an  infant. 

6.  A  work  beyond  the  scrutiny  of  man. 

7.  The  circumstances  not  to  be  calculated  upon,  not 
to  be  predicted. 

8.  A  revival  not  to  be  talked  about  or  calculated 
upon  when  in  progress. 

9.  This  pre-eminently  the  work  of  God. 

10.  The  crowning  work  of  Jesus  Christ. 

11.  Prayer,  how  appropriate;    how  full  of  wisdom 
and  goodness  its  appointment. 


SIN  WITHOUT  EXCUSE  BEFORE  THE  CROSS  OF  CHRIST. 

1.  Its  universality.     By  a  view  of  the  cross  it  be- 
comes an  individual  subject. 


MORXIXG  AXD  EVENING  SERVICES.  307 

2.  General  confession.      At  the  cross  the  contrite 
heart  needs  something  more. 

3.  A  general   desire   to   become  a  Christian  often 
gives  a  feeling  of  complacency,  and  a  cloak  for  sins. 
At  the  cross  this  desire  is  lost  sight  of. 

4.  A  discouraged  feeling  about  becoming  a  Christian 
is  a  cloak  for  sin. 

5.  Excuses  for  neglecting  to  seek  salvation. 
(1.)  It  will  do  no  good  for  me  to  try. 

(2.)  I  would  try  if  I  knew  I  should  succeed. 
(3.)  I  have  once  had  a  false  hope,  and  now  I  want  a 
good  one,  or  none. 

(4.)  What  will  others  think  of  me? 


ENTERING  GOD'S  VINEYABD. 

Matt.  xx.  1-16. 

1.  God  has  a  vineyard. 

2.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  be  called  into  it. 

3.  He  rewards. 

4.  The  reward  gratuitous. 

5.  Those  called  into  the   vineyard  often  most  un- 
worthy. 

6.  At  a  late  period,  sometimes. 
(1.)  Late  in  age. 

(2.)  Late  in  having  refused  invitations. 

7.  Motives  to  enter  the  vineyard.     Not  an  idle  ser- 
vice. 

8.  Encouragement  to  all  to  ask  for  a  place. 


308  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR T  L  YON. 

9.  Encouragement  to  hope  against  hope. 
Necessity  of  a  spirit  of  entire  consecration  to  God, 
as  is  illustrated  in  the  life  of  Abraham. 


GOD»S  MEECT. 

Psalm  cxxxvi. 

The  great  principle  in  the  divine  economy.  "  His 
mercy  endureth  for  ever." 

Vs.  1-3.  Leading  attributes  in  God's  revealed  char- 
acter calling  for  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

4-9.  Grand  cause  for  all  the  works  of  God  in  crea- 
tion and  providence. 

10-20.  Grand  feason  for  his  judgments  and  the  ex- 
hibitions of  his  wrath. 

21-24.  Reasons  for  giving  to  some  and  withholding 
from  others. 

25.  Temporal  blessings. 

26.  General  thanksgiving  to  God. 

1.  We  can  see  why  God  punishes.     To  lead  others 
to  repentance. 

2.  We  can  see  why  he  forbears.     To  lead  to  repent- 
ance. 

3.  In  the  bestowment  of  temporal  blessings  God  has 
a  higher  design  than  immediate  good. 

4.  The  grand  cause  of  salvation  to  any. 

Two  impressions  on  my  mind  —  one  dark  the  other 
full  of  light. 

As   a  great  whole   the   punishment  of  the  wicked 


AfOR.MXO  AXD  EVENING  SERVICES.  300 

seems  wise  and  good  —  most  for  the  glory  of  God ; 
most  for  the  glorious  happiness  of  the  created  universe. 
With  this  view  we  can  join  in  thanksgiving  for  his 
judgments. 

But  looking  at  individuals,  our  hearts  are  filled  with 
anguish  and  our  feeble  minds  clouded  with  mystery. 
We  may  sympathize  with  Christ  in  his  weeping  over 
Jerusalem.  "Why  was  I  made  to  hear  thy  voice?" 
Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 

Christians  should  be  made  solemn,  penitent,  and 
prayerful. 

They  should  bear  their  own  sins  and  the  condition 
of  sinners  on  their  hearts  as  they  enter  the  holy  place, 
and  lay  them  on  the  head  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  Sin- 
ners should  tremble  lest  they  should  be  left,  and  strive 
to  make  their  calling  and  election  sure. 

I  shall  never  read  this  verse  again  without  recall- 
ing the  impressive  manner  in  which  it  was  spoken 
just  one  week  ago  by  Miss  Washburn ;  how  she 
repeated,  "for  ever,  for  ever,  for  ever;"  adding, 
"  who  ca'n  tell  what  that  means  ?  "  Even  judgments 
are  to  show  that  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever. 


xxrv. 

FAITH  OF  ABEL. 

Heb.  xi.  4  ;  Gen.  iv.  2-5  ;    1  John  v.  12. 

1.  First  recorded  instance  of  a  sacrifice. 

2.  Institution  of  sacrifices  a  wonderful  event. 

3.  Describe  the  reason. 


3 1'O  KECOLLECTWyS  OF  MART  L  YOX. 

4.  Abel's  penitence  and  Abel's  faith  in  Christ. 

5.  Abel's  sudden  admission  into  the  presence  of 
Christ. 

6.  Abel  being  dead    yet   speaketh.      The  dead   in 
Christ  send  a  voice  after  them. 

1.  He  speaks  to  the  impenitent.     He  was  penitent. 

2.  He  speaks  to  the  unbelieving.      He  had  faith  in 
Christ. 

3.  He  speaks  to  the  self-righteous.     He  was  clothed 
in  Christ's  righteousness. 

4.  He   speaks  to  those  who  depend  on  a  religion 
which  does  not  purify  the  life.     His  works  were  right- 
eous. 

5.  He  speaks  to  those  who  neglect  great  light. 

6.  He  speaks  encouragement  to  the  desponding. 

7.  He  magnifies  the  grace  of  God. 

8.  He  speaks  in  a  voice  of  praise  and  glory  to  God. 
He  has  commenced  the  new  song. 

9.  Joy  among  the  angels  when  he  entered  heaven. 
"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest." 

10.  His  joy  over  every  repenting  sinner. 

11.  His  joy  at  every  new  meeting  of  a  redeemed  and 
sanctified  soul. 


XXV. 

GLORYING  IN  INFIRMITIES. 

Not  in  sins,  but  in  infirmities. 

1.  Our  greatest  excellences  have,  by  their  side,  some 
humiliating  fault.  This  is  then  the  subject  of  glory 
through  our  excellences. 


MORXIXG  AXD  EVENING  SERVICES.  311 

2.  Christ   often  employs  the  weakest   instruments. 
We  may  be  encouraged  by  this. 

3.  There  is  often  a  needful  thorn.     Needful  to  open 
the  way  for  communications  of  glory  ;  for  blessed  suc- 
cess in  our  work. 

4.  Our  prayers  are  sometimes  not  answered,  that  we 
may  desire  more  than  we  can  ask  or  think.     How  much 
better  to  have  the  thorn  and  grace  than  to  have   no 
thorn  and  no  grace. 

5.  The  thorn   often  grows   in   our  own   character. 
This  gives  it  its  sharpness. 

6.  There  is  a  mystery  in  being  reconciled  to  our  own 
mistakes  and  missteps,  and  yet  groaning  to  be  delivered 
from  all  sin  ;  a  mystery  known  only  to  the  heart  of  the 
believer. 

Effects  of  glorying  in  infirmity. 

1.  Our  guilt  magnifies  the  grace  of  God. 

2.  Our  corruption  magnifies  the  power  of  the  Spirit 
on  our  hearts. 

3.  Our  weakness  magnifies  the  strength  of  Christ. 

4.  Our  unworthiness  magnifies  the  condescension  of 
Christ. 

5.  A   conviction   of  our  unfitness   to   receive    the 
blessing  sought   overwhelms  us  with  gratitude  when 
the  blessing  comes. 


TAKING  NO  THOUGHT  FOR  THE  MORROW. 
Matt.  vi.  25-34. 

1.  Religion,  in  general,  is  a  present  subject  ;  not  fu- 
ture nor  past. 


312  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MAR  Y  L  1'O.V. 

2.  Duty  is  present. 

3.  Repentance. 

4.  Faith. 

Advantages  of  this  course. 

1.  Persons  can  sustain  what  is  laid  upon  them. 

2.  They  can  do  the  most  trying  things.     Abraham. 

3.  They  can  bear  the  greatest  burdens. 

4.  They  can  venture  to  go  forward. 


XX.V11. 

CUKIST  THE  LIGHT  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Johni.  4-9;   iii.  19-21. 

Human  depravity  and  wickedness  are  the  darkness  of 
the  world. 

1.  Christ  is  the  grand  theme  of  the  Bible. 

2.  The  grand  subject  presented  to  the  heart  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

3.  The  grand  object  of  opposition  by  the  powers  of 
darkness  and  by  wicked  men. 

4.  Christ  is  every  thing  to  us  ;  we  live  in  him ;  for 
him ;  to  him. 


313 


FASTING. 


OBSEKVANCE  OF  THE  DAT. 

Fasting  has  always  been  observed  by  eminent  Chris- 
tians. Christ  spoke  of  it,  as  a  matter  of  course,  as 
an  established  thing  —  "  when  ye  fast."  We  should  fast 
in  view  of  our  sins  and  in  view  of  our  necessities.  There 
should  be  no  compulsion  in  reference  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  day ;  but  we  shall  wish  to  have  our  house 
entirely  quiet ;  let  the  wheels  of  business  stop,  and, 
as  it  were,  step  into  eternity  and  spend  the  day. 
I  hope  the  impenitent  will  think  how  they  are  slighting 
the  offers  of  mercy. 

To  spend  time  in  religious  services,  is  like  bringing 
the  alabaster  box  and  pouring  it  on  the  Saviour's 
head.  We  should  give  the  best  of  this  day  to  religion. 
If  it  is  asked,  Why  is  this  alabaster  box  broken?  —  the 
answer  is,  From  love  to  the  Saviour.  Spending  time 
purely  for  religion,  is  more  nearly  like  the  service  of 
heaven  than  any  thing  else.  Let  us  seek  to  spend  the 
day  so  as  to  have  a  realization  of  eternity.  Depart 
far  out  of  the  world,  and  may  you  come  back  prof- 
ited. 

n. 

WHAT  is  FASTING  T 

Fasting  —  literally  to  abstain  from  food  ;  extended 
to  mean  to  abstain  from  all  worldly  pleasures  or  worldly 


314  RECOLLECTIONS  Of  MARY  iJ'O.V. 

gratifications  —  society,  reading,  study,  walking,  rid- 
ing, writing  letters,  worldly  musings.  Spiritually  — 
to  afflict  the  soul  by  bringing  painful  subjects  before 
the  mind. 

Painful  subjects. 

1.  How  many  sins  I  have  committed. 

2.  How  unfit  I  am  now  for  the  Lord's  work. 

3.  The  dreadful  world  of  misery. 

4.  The  many  who  have  gone  there,  the  painful  emo- 
tions in  view  of  it. 

5.  The  fear  that  I  may  go  there  and  fail  at  last. 

6.  The  danger  in  which  others  now  stand.     The  haz- 
ard of  every  one  without  hope.     The  danger  of  death- 
bed repentance  —  the  danger  of  delay — the  painful 
feeling  of  seeing  an  impenitent  sinner  appear  happy. 
The  ignorant,  who  have  none  to  teach  them,  parents 
nor  teachers;  their  danger — the  heathen  —  every  indi- 
vidual and  their  danger. 

7.  The  duties  I  have  neglected,  the  wrong  examples 
I  have  set ;  the  dishonor  I  have  cast  on  God ;  the  souls 
I  have  led  away  from  God. 

8.  The  low  state  of  religion  —  the  low  standard  of 
duty. 

9.  Look  at  institutions  of  learning. 


m. 


FAST  FOR  COLLEGES. 

We  met  at  the  usual  time  for  devotions.  Miss  Lyon 
said  there  were  two  objects  she  wished  us  to  pra}r  for 
to-day  —  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this 


FASTIXG.  815 

family,  and  upon  literary  institutions.  In  praying  for 
this  family,  pray  especially  for  the  impenitent.  Look 
at  the  encouraging  side  in  doing  this.  She  then  read 
2  Chron.  xx.  20,  also  Luke  v.,  the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes.  How  many  of  these  dear  teachers  and  pupils 
would  say,  "We  have  toiled  all  the  night,  and  taken 
nothing.  There  are  a  few  in  the  dear  senior  class 
who  have  no  hope.  Can  they  not  say  they  have  toiled 
all  the  day,  and  all  the  night  too,  and  taken  nothing? 
"Will  they  not  let  down  their  nets  to-day,  and  let  us  all, 
yes,  every  one,  let  down  our  nets  in  their  behalf? 
Then  she  turned  to  the  middle  class,  and  asked  the 
same  of  them,  and  of  the  junior  class,  who  are  yet  im- 
penitent. Are  you  willing  to  toil  on  month  after 
month  as  you  have  done,  and  take  nothing  ?  Let  down 
your  nets  to-day,  and  let  us  all  let  them  down,  and  see 
if  we  have  not  a  great  blessing. 

At  half  past  two  p.  M.  all  were  invited  to  a  meeting 
in  the  Seminary  Hall.  (For  the  subject  of  remarks, 
see  following  section.) 

IV. 

DESCENT  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  on  LITERARY  INSTITUTIONS. 

Acts   ii.    12-21 ;    Joel  ii.  12-32 ;    Isaiah  xliv.  1-18 ; 
lix.  19-21. 

1.  The  duty  of  praying  for  the  descent  of  the  Hoi}' 
Spirit  on  literary  institutions. 
(1.)  Colleges. 

(2.)  Theological  seminaries. 
(3.)  Preparatory  institutions. 


31  C  JILCOLLECTIOXS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

(4.)  Female  schools. 
(5.)  Common  schools. 
(6.)  Schools  for  children. 

2.  Duty  of  all  teachers  to  make  this  an   express 
object.     Always  keep  it  in  mind.     God  has  laid  this 
on  you. 

(1.)  In  preparing  to  be  teachers. 

(2.)  In  seeking  a  place  to  teach. 

(3.)  In  the  immediate  anticipation  of  a  definite 
school. 

(4.)  As  you  commence  teaching. 

(5.)  As  you  go  on  from  day  to  day  and  from  week  to 
week.  You  may  inquire  what  you  shall  do.  "We 
know  not  what  to  do."  2  Chron.  xx.  12.  "But 
our  eyes  are  on  thee."  I  should  not  dare  to  try  to 
tell  you  very  definitely  what  to  do.  But  feel  that 
you  must  do  something,  and  look  to  God  to  teach 
you  what  it  is. 

3.  Encouragement  to  labor. 
(1.)  Promises  of  God  to  youth. 

(2.)  Promises  of  God  to  faithful  instruction. 

(3.)  Promises  to  prayers. 

(4.)  Past  goodness  of  God. 

Did  a  teacher  ever  enter  on  the  work  of  teaching  as 
a  work  for  the  Lord,  looking  by  prayer  and  faith  for 
the  conversion  of  their  pupils,  who  was  not  blessed  ? 

Favorable  circumstances. 

1.  Teachers  to  unite  with  parents  for  the  conversion 
of  their  children. 

2.  Their  common  work  would  be  an  aid.     Train  the 
mind,  cultivate   the   conscience,  self-control,  system, 
etc. 


DI:TACIIED  SAYIXGS.  317 

3.  The   newness  of  the  acquaintance,  and  the  new- 
ness of  their  situation. 

t 

4.  The  shortness  of  the  connection. 

5.  The  approaching  separation. 

Who  will  venture  to  defer  repentance  to  a  better 
season  ? 


DETACHED  SAYINGS. 

Do  not  yield  to  inclination  instead  of  judgment  in 
diet,  exercise,  bathing,  rising,  etc.  Attend  to  all  these 
if  you  would  have  religious  interest  uniform. 

Confide  in  the  judgment  of  your  mothers.  It  will 
give  your  mothers  great  happiness  to  have  you  confide 
all  to  them,  and  it  is  the  safer  way  for  you.  If  your 
mother  is  in  doubt  in  reference  to  a  ride,  walk,  or  a 
correspondence,  your  dut}r  is  certain. 

What  is  duty  is  duty,  though  ever  so  small. 

Seek  to  understand  propriety  in  your  intercourse 
with  gentlemen.  It  is  important  to  have  this  knowl- 
edge at  the  right  time,  that  you  may  do  nothing  that 
will  be  a  matter  of  regret  to  you. 

Form  little  rules  for  the  improvement  of  character, 
but  do  not  speak  of  them. 

Take  just  as  good  care  of  little  things  as  large  ones. 
The  young  lady  who  will  leave  a  spoon  out  of  place, 
or  drop  a  dipper  where  she  may  chance  to  use  it,  can 
hardly  expect  to  have  a  great  deal  committed  to  her. 

Character  may  be  compared  to  a  piece  of  embroi- 
dery, which  is  all  accomplished  stitch  by  stitch. 


318  EECOI.LKcriOXS  0V  MAKY  LYOX. 

So  live  that  it  will  be  pleasant  for  others  to  think  of 
you  when  you  are  dead. 

When  curses  are  denounced  upon  children  for  par- 
ents' sake,  it  is  upon  wicked  children  for  wicked  par- 
ents' sake. 

Do  not  allow  pride  to  make  you  silent.  Some  think 
they  can  say  nothing  worth  saying.  Probably  none 
of  us  can  ;  but  if  communing  together  is  appointed  as 
a  means  of  good,  we  should  not  neglect  it. 

Be  careful  in  regard  to  what  you  do  yourself,  and 
very  charitable  to  others. 

Winter  is  the  seed-time  of  health.     Take  much  exer- 
cise in  the  cold  season,  if  you  would  be  well  in  sum- 
mer. 
.  It  is  as  easy  to  improve  five  talents  as  one. 

None  have  more  responsibility  than  others.  Teach- 
ers have  no  more  than  scholars,  except  comparatively. 
Absolutely  considered  in  reference  to  God,  all  are 
alike  responsible. 

If  any  one  thinks  he  has  no  responsibilities,  it  is 
because  he  has  not  sought  them  out. 

One  great  thing  to  be  gained  in  an  education,  is  to 
be  able  to  possess  comforts  and  privileges  without 
becoming  selfish. 

Decide  whether  you  will  be  selfish  or  benevolent 
characters. 

Form  such  a  character  in  this  life  as  you  will  wish 
to  possess  through  eternity. 

Seek  to  be  always  in  such  a  state  of  mind,  and  to  so 
spend  each  day,  that  you  will  be  prepared  for  afflictive 
intelligence,  and  even  for  death  itself. 

A  sense  of  eternal  things  constantly  upon  the  mind 
is  calculated  to  make  one  uniformly  cheerful  and  happy. 


DETACHED  SAYIXGS.  319 

If  we  do  not  resolve  to  act  at  once  when  we  are  in- 
terested, the  impression  will  react  upon  the  mind,  and 
wear  away  its  sensitiveness. 

Never  read  a  book  without  first  praying  over  it. 

It  is  better  to  govern  by  conscience  and  judgment 
than  by  fear,  but  better  to  govern  by  fear  than  not  at 
all. 

You  all  possess  great  power  of  influencing  others, 
and  I  am  afraid  that  some  of  you  are  weaving  webs  of 
sloth,  worldliness,  or  thoughtlessness  which  you  are 
throwing  around  your  companions. 

Poor  persons  often  speak  disparagingly  of  the  rich 
Christian.  If  they  knew  all  his  trials,  they  would 
spend  the  time  thus  occupied  in  praying  for  him. 

Remember,  there  is  no  kindness  you  can  show  a  poor 
person  like  helping  him  to  do  for  himself  to  the  extent 
of  his  ability. 

If  we  can  not  yield  our  will  in  little  things,  God  will 
almost  certainly  give  us  greater  trials.  He  may  not 
do  it  at  once,  but  he  will  not  forget  that  his  child  needs 
more  discipline,  and  he  will  take  his  own  time  for  giv- 
ing it. 

It  is  not  possible  for  a  person  to  be  thoroughly  im- 
bued with  a  missionary  spirit  who  is  not  benevolent  in 
other  respects. 

Good  table  manners  are  to  be  especially  sought  for 
in  such  a  family  as  ours,  where,  among  so  many,  there 
is  danger  of  degeneracy.  It  is  said,  and  I  think  justly, 
that  a  lady  is  known  by  her  table  manners. 

In  the  review  of  a  study  at  the  examination,  you 
will  often  find  that  some  pages  of  the  book  were  not 
well  learned  when  you  first  went  over  it.  As  this 


320  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MART  LYOX. 

troubles  you,  remember  that  at  the  judgment  misim- 
proved  days  will  thus  come  up. 

If  you  have  the  care  of  only  one  little  child,  never, 
for  a  moment,  think  that  you  have  not  a  great  work. 
If  that  child  is  spared  to  grow  up,  it  may  be  that  you  will 
influence  thousands  through  him.  If  he  is  early  taken 
away,  be  happy  in  the  thought  that  you  have  helped 
prepare  a  child  for  heaven.  And  we  can  not  know  but 
the  child  in  heaven  does  more  for  this  world  than  the 
most  devoted  Christian  minister  spared  to  see  his  three- 
score and  ten  years  on  earth. 

Ask  for  a  life  of  growth  in  all  that  is  good,  but  do 
not  ask  for  a  life  of  ease.  In  asking  this  }*ou  may  ask 
for  eternal  misery. 

Little  faith,  few  works,  and  a  little  treasure  in  heaven, 
go  together. 

Taste  should  be  made  a  subject  of  practical  educa- 
tion. Those  articles  of  dress  that  are  in  the  best 
taste  do  not  change  as  much  from  year  to  year  as 
others. 

I  am  always  afraid  of  the  influence  of  those  ladies 
whose  principal  subject  of  conversation  is  plainness  in 
dress.  They  are  very  likely  to  go  to  the  opposite  ex- 
treme. Self-respect  is  acquired  and  retained  by  some 
attention  to  dress.  I  have  only  a  few  brief  rules  to 
give  you  on  this  subject,  and  may  never  speak  to  you 
of  it  again.  Never  be  singular  in  your  dress,  but  en- 
deavor to  dress  so  as  not  to  be  noticed.  Never  impress 
people  as  being  fond  of  dress.  Purchase  good  articles 
when  you  purchase  any,  and  seek  to  use  them  to  the 
best  advantage.  I  have  no  idea  that  Christ  was  neg- 
ligent of  his  dress.  His  garment  was  one  counted 
worthy  of  casting  lots  upon. 


DETACHED  SAYIXGS.  821 

Act  from  principle  in  regard  to  going  to  church. 
Then  you  will  do  right,  be  it  hot  or  cold,  wet  or  dry. 
You  probably  know  very  little  how  much  your  vacant 
seat  in  church  on  the  Sabbath  affects  your  pastor.  I 
am  sure  that  it  will  always  do  the  man  of  God  good  to 
see  you  regularly  in  your  place  in  the  house  of  worship, 
with  the  interested  countenance  which  always  goes  with 
the  interested  heart. 

Seek  for  yourself  a  place  where  the  flame  of  selfish- 
ness will  not  be  fanned. 

I  love  to  live  for  you,  my  dear  children ;  but  when  I 
think  of  myself  alone,  I  want  to  go  home. 

Never  plead  native  character  as  an  excuse  for  your 
faults.  The  Bible  gives  no  such  excuse. 

A  good  Christian  hope  will  not  grow  dimmer  and 
dimmer  like  the  taper,  but,  like  the  rising  sun,  brighter 
and  brighter. 

Why  are  some  persons  in  a  hurry?  Simply  on  ac- 
count of  slothfulness. 

None  can  be  honest  to  God  who  are  not  honest  to 
man. 

There  is  a  definite  time  for  every  thing.  If  it  is  not 
done  at  its  time,  a  place  can  never  be  found  for  it  with- 
out displacing  something  else.  If  an  hour  is  lost,  it  is 
never  regained.  "VVe  may  crowd  its  duties  into  other 
hours,  but  the  day  is  worth  as  much  less  as  that  hour's 
value,  and  even  more.  This  is  true  of  the  whole  of 
life. 

Bring  your  strongest  intellectual  powers  into  action 
when  you  look  at  the  way  of  salvation. 

Many  ladies  are  made  most  miserable  by  trying  to 
be  fashionable,  because  they  have  no  character. 
21 


322  LECOLLECTIOXS  OF  MART  LYOX. 

The  cultivation  of  the  ornamental  branches  without 
a  thorough  education,  is  like  trying  to  polish  cork  or 
sponge  ;  but  with  that  it  is  the  burnishing  of  the  finest 
gold. 

Follow  judgment  rather  than  impulse.  Of  all  the 
leading-strings  in  the  world,  the  last  to  follow  should  be 
fancy. 

We  can  compare  ourselves  profitably  with  others 
sometimes,  and  we  should  be  careful  not  to  lose  what 
we  thus  gain.  From  the  wise,  we  may  learn  to  be 
wise ;  from  the  impatient,  learn  to  be  patient ;  from 
the  unreasonable,  learn  the  undesirableness  of  such  a 
course. 

Always  remember  that  there  is  no  possible  making 
up  of  lost  time. 

There  is  a  deficiency  of  grasp  of  mind  if  you  do  not 
think  ;  a  deficiency  of  moral  power  if  you  do  not  care. 
Want  of  business  habits  in  ladies  consumes  their  time, 
their  hearts,  and  gives  them  much  perplexity. 

All  the  sins  of  the  Christian  will  be  remembered  in 
judgment  to  show  the  exceeding  love  of  Christ  in  their 
forgiveness. 

In  estimating  our  obligations  we  must  look  at  our 
means,  our  blessings,  and  our  light.  We  must  look  at 
the  wants  of  a  world,  —  the  door  opan,  —  and  then  ask 
what  God  requires.  Human  laws  tell  us  so  exactly 
what  to  do,  there  is  no  room  for  faith.  The  Bible  is  a 
rule  of  duty,  but  leaves  room  for  faith.  There  are 
general  principles,  like  great  pillars,  on  which  we  stand 
and  study  our  duty. 

Do  not  wait  for  solicitors  to  ask  for  your  missiona- 
ry contributions.  Lay  aside  a  portion  as  for  a  sacred 
purpose,  and  carry  it  if  it  is  not  asked  for. 


DETACHED  SAYINGS.  323 

The  benevolence  of  the  Jews  was,  to  an  extent,  ex- 
pended on  their  ceremonies.  God  seemed  to  say  to 
them,  You  are  not  strong  enough  to  convert  the  world. 

No  missionary  can  give  up  as  much  as  Christ  did 
when  he  came  to  this  world.  We  have  none  of  us  such 
a  Father's  house  to  leave. 

Those  obtain  the  greatest  happiness  who  seek  it  in- 
directly by  promoting  the  happiness  of  others. 

Our  greatest  happiness  is  derived  from  our  interest 
in  and  labor  for  others.  The  Christian's  greatest  joy 
or  sorrow  is  in  regard  to  others. 

Treasure  up  hints  ;  they  may  prove  the  seed  of 
principles. 

Wealth  and  extravagance  have  no  necessary  con- 
nection. 

I  have  been  asked  if  it  would  not  be  well  for  our 
young  ladies  to  give  an  example  of  economy,  and 
throw  their  influence  in  favor  of  it  by  pledging  them- 
selves to  wear  certain  articles  of  dress.  (There  were 
societies  of  ninepenny  calico  then  talked  of.)  I  would 
not  like  to  have  you  do  any  thing  of  this  kind.  I  do 
not  wish  you  to  be  singular  in  your  dress.  Your  time 
is  too  precious  to  be  given  to  such  an  object.  Neither 
do  I  think  it  best  for  you  to  confine  yourselves  to  the 
cheapest  articles  of  dress.  It  is  not  economy  to  do 
this.  Nor  do  I  believe  that  you  will  thus  accomplish 
the  greatest  good. 

There  is  a  defect  in  our  present  system  of  education. 
Knowledge  of  books  increases  faster  than  knowledge 
of  character. 

There  were  more  strong  characters  fifty  years  ago 
than  now,  because  knowledge  and  reflection  were  bet- 
ter balanced. 


321  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

The  body  and  the  mind  each  strive  for  the  mastery. 
The  body  is  of  the  earth.  The  mind  ranges  in  eterni- 
ty. The  mind  should  not  sit  down  and  wash  the  body's 
feet.  The  master  should  have  the  master's  place.  Take 
an  illustration.  In  the  morning  the  mind  says,  It  is 
time  to  rise.  The  body  says,  It  is  cold.  The  mind 
listens  to  the  body.  Servitude  and  degradation  fol- 
low. When  you  know  it  is  time  to  rise,  do  it  at  once. 
And  will  you  remember  it  all  your  lives,  and  how  I 
stood  here  and  asked  you  to  do  it  ? 

Young  ladies  honor  or  dishonor  parents  in  every 
thing  they  do.  Their  parents  are  judged  by  what  they 
are. 

I  have  often  conceived  very  high  respect,  and  even 
affection,  for  the  parents  of  my  pupils,  before  meeting 
those  parents.  This  has  been  given  me  by  their  faith- 
ful daughters.  . 

Parents  are  often  more  grieved  by  the  dishonor 
shown  them  by  their  advanced  children,  than  by  the 
disobedience  of  little  children. 

Economy  for  the  sake  of  giving  is  never  mean,  but 
noble. 

Many  persons  are  poor  not  because  they  have  not 
;nough,  but  because  they  do  not  know  how  to  use  what 
they  have. 

I  do  not  expect  to  ever  want  while  I  have  so  many 
grateful  pupils. 

If  I  were  to  educate  a  young  lady  to  fill  the  highest 
post,  as  far  as  intellect,  wealth,  and  station  were  con- 
cerned, I  would  say,  she  should  be  strictly  economical ; 
repair  and  mend  her  dresses  rather  than  give  them  to 
the  poor,  and  thus  be  able  to  give  money  that  will  flow 
through  the  world. 


DETACHED  SAY1XGS.  325 

Mukers  of  fashion  are  not  usually  educated  persons. 
Always  give  the  throne  to  conscience. 

The  frequent  Sabbath  headaches  probably  arise  from 
change  of  employment ;  but  we  may  so  rise  above 
them  as  to  be  found  in  church. 

It  is  important  for  young  ladies  to  decide  early  in 
the  school  year,  whether  or  not  they  can  be  cheerful 
and  contented.  Homesick  people  I  do  not  place  very 
high  in  the  scale  of  character. 

Take  care  of  your  spelling,  writing,  reading,  and 
singing. 

Humility  consists  not  so  much  in  thinking  meanly  of 
one's  self,  as  in  feeling  one's  dependence  on  a  higher 
power  for  success.  There  is  no  better  time  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  humility  than  when  we  succeed.  The  feel- 
ing is,  Oh !  how  unworthy  I  am  to  be  able  to  suc- 
ceed. 

We  ought  to  appear  benevolent,  as  well  as  to  be 
really  so.  This  is  the  reason  I  think  it  best  to  have 
our  missionary  contributions  in  the  form  of  subscrip- 
tions. 

Do  not  break  a  post-office  law  to  save  a  ninepence 
or  a  quarter  of  a  dollar.  There  is  a  kind  of  reverence 
in  keeping  law,  though  it  be  too  strict. 

Acquire  the  habit  of  accounting  for  time  as  well  as 
money.  Yet  avoid  appearing  too  economical  of  time  ; 
as  when  taking  a  book  or  paper  into  company.  A 
lady  should  be  so  educated  that  she  can  go  as  a  mis- 
sionary at  a  fortnight's  notice. 

The  feeling  which  leads  us  to  say,  I  may  do  what 
others  may  not ;  my  case  is  peculiar,  —  prevents  a  vast 
amount  of  good  in  families,  communities,  and  the 
world. 


32 G  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYON. 

Cultivate  foresight,  and  a  habit  of  looking  on  the 
bright  side.  Nothing  except  a  good  conscience  con- 
tributes more  to  an  habitual  cheerfulness  than  this 
habit. 

Cherish  such  a  frame  of  mind  as  to  be  continually 
prepared  for  great  and  sudden  events. 

In  reading  for  devotion,  it  is  more  profitable  to  read 
a  few  verses.  Read  a  little,  and  let  the  truths  fall  into 
your  mind.  Receive  them  just  as  they  drop,  as  it  were, 
voluntarily  into  the  mind,  and  see  if  some  thought 
does  not  seem  most  precious.  Many  make  a  great  mis- 
take in  making  too  great  an  effort  to  feel.  You  should 
not  make  much  effort.  Keep  the  mind  on  the  passage, 
without  wandering.  This  is  very  important.  If  you 
have  one  thought  peculiarly  precious,  just  think  why 
you  have  it :  because  you  have  your  mind  on  the 
Bible.  Perhaps  these  precious  thoughts  will  be  some 
of  the  same  you  will  have  in  heaven. 

The  commands  of  God  in  the  first  ages  are  definite 
and  simple,  like  those  of  a  parent  to  young  children. 
Little  children  can  not  infer  their  duties  from  general 
commands,  but  older  ones  can  judge  of  parents'  wishes 
from  definite  commands  given  to  the  younger.  This 
renders  their  obedience  higher,  nobler,  more  gratify- 
ing to  parents  than  if  exact  rules  were  given.  In  the 
same  manner  God  leads  us,  his  elder  children,  to 
infer  our  duty  from  directions  given  to  the  younger  — 
those  living  in  earlier  ages. 

All  are  not  required  to  act  in  relation  to  the  same 
laws.  Angels  are  not  called  upon  to  obey  their  par- 
ents, for  they  have  no  parents.  Every  command  must 
be  obeyed  so  far  as  individuals  are  called  to  act  in 
relation  to  it. 


DETACHED  SAYINGS.  327 

If  the  ceremonial  law  and  moral  law  had  been 
mingled  and  delivered  together,  there  would  have  been 
ground  for  caviling  at  the  latter.  But  it  does  not  say, 
"Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me,"  and  then 
say,  "  Thou  shalt  not  seethe  a  kid  in  his  mother's 
milk." 

The  Bible  was  silent  on  the  subject  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath  many  hundred  years,  in  several  instances,  yet 
when  alluded  to  it  is  just  as  if  it  were  binding. 

The  Bible  has  no  favorite  duties,  no  favorite  laws. 
The  stress  the  Bible  lays  upon  subjects  is  proportioned 
to  their  importance. 

God  is  glorified  by  having  his  plans  accomplished. 
When  man's  plans  are  accomplished  it  proves  his  wis- 
dom and  skill.  Just  so  with  God.  One  way  of  honor- 
ing God  is  by  increasing  the  happiness  of  ourselves 
and  friends.  Every  time  we  diminish  happiness,  we 
dishonor  him.  When  we  appear  unhappy  and  de- 
jected, we  imply  that  he  made  us  to  be  unhappy. 

A  wish  to  be  remembered  after  we  are  dead  is  not 
wrong,  not  pride,  unless  excessive.  The  Bible  pre- 
sents this  as  a  motive  for  action. 

More  than  nine  tenths  of  the  suffering  we  endure  is 
because  those  around  us  do  not  show  that  regard  for 
us  which  we  think  they  ought  to. 

Most  wonderful  and  comprehensive  are  God's  laws. 
The  reason  that  the  ten  commandments  are  given  in 
so  little  space,  is  because  the  willing-hearted  under-  • 
stand  easily.  They  understand  duty  by  the  general 
spirit  of  the  Bible ;  e.  gr.,  The  spirit  of  the  fifth  com- 
mandment is,  that  we  observe  all  relative  duties. 

If  you  have  an  excellent  father,  you  ought  to  respect 


328  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

him,  and  so  ought  every  one  in  the  neighborhood  ;  but 
you  have  his  parental  character  to  respect,  too.  Even 
if  a  child  have  a  wicked,  degraded,  drunken  father, 
yet  he  must  pay  respect  to  that  father  as  he  does  to 
no  other  person. 

The  animal  creation  are  not  moral  agents.  They 
do  not  design  to  do  things  right  or  wrong,  more  than 
the  plants  that  grow  out  of  the  ground. 

It  is  one  thing  to  approve,  and  another  to  love  ;  one 
thing  to  disapprove,  and  another  to  hate.  Much  of  our 
unhappiness  arises  from  loving  what  we  most  disap- 
prove. 

Settle  some  great  principles  of  duty  for  life.  All 
who  have  ever  attained  to  any  great  degree  of  per- 
fection have  had  certain  rules  by  which  to  abide. 
Doubtful  cases  cause  us  much  trouble.  In  these  refer 
to  your  general  rule. 

The  violation  of  the  seventh  commandment  may 
and  ought  to  be  examined  as  a  general  subject,  but  be- 
ware of  learning  particulars. 

Choose  the  society  of  such  gentlemen  as  will  con- 
verse without  even  once  seeming  to  think  that  you  are 
a  lady. 

What  course  should  be  taken  with  children  who 
make  inquiries  on  the  subject  of  births  ?  The  mother 
is  the  proper  person  to  answer  such  inquiries.  Let 
her  tell  them  no  strange  stories,  but  speak  with  sim- 
plicity, never  without  sufficient  cause,  and  never  in  a 
way  to  excite  further  curiosity.  She  should  lead  them 
to  feel  that  they  should  not  speak  of  the  subject,  unless 
to  her ;  that  she  will  talk  to  them  about  it  when  proper, 
and  meanwhile  they  should  be  -willing  to  be  igno- 
rant. 


DETACHED  SAYINGS.  329 

It  is  easier  to  judge  without  reason  than  to  stop 
and  think. 

It  is  a  divine  requirement  to  "  take  fast  hold  of  in- 
struction." This  implies  something  more  than  to  sit 
still  and  merely  receive  what  is  brought  to  our  minds. 
You  must  seek  for  knowledge,  for  be  assured  the  heav- 
enly stranger  will  not  force  herself  into  your  posses- 
sion. 

A"  conscience  void  of  offense  is  the  best  commenta- 
tor. 

The  keeping  of  the  first  table  of  the  law  is  expressed 
in  one  word,  —  worship.  One  command  gives  us  the 
object  of  worship,  another  the  manner  of  worship,  and 
another,  still,  the  time  of  worship. 

Always  treat  your  room-mates  and  intimate  friends 
politely. 

Always  be  in  haste,  but  never  in  a  hurry. 

Accustom  yourself  to  practice  self-denial  when  it 
will  promote  the  happiness  of  others. 

Acquire  knowledge  that  you  may  do  good. 

Act  from  principle  rather  than  from  feeling. 

Always  conduct  as  if  your  parents  were  visibly 
present. 

Avoid  undue  excitement  on  trivial  occasions. 

At  the  close  of  each  day  carefully  review  your  con- 
duct. 

A  time  for  every  thing,  and  every  thing  at  its  time. 

Avoid  unpleasant  looks. 

Avoid  smiling  in  meeting,  and  exchanging  looks  with 
an  acquaintance. 

Avoid  loud  talking  in  the  streets. 

Avoid  doing  such  things  as  are  suited  to  excite 
attention. 


:',:10  RECOLLECTIONS    OF  MARY  LYOtf. 

Be  punctual  to  all  appointments. 

Be  sincere  in  your  professions  of  friendship. 

Cultivate  a  pleasant  countenance. 

Endeavor  to  eradicate  prejudice. 

Endeavor  to  acquire  that  discipline  which  will  enable 
you  to  judge  correctly  of  yourself. 

Endeavor  to  improve  in  conversation. 

Endeavor  to  impart  some  knowledge  of  the  Bible  to 
some  one  younger  than  yourself  every  week. 

Endeavor  to  gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  domestic 
duties  by  practice. 

Exhibit  such  an  example  in  your  dress,  conversation, 
and  temper,  as  will  be  worthy  of  imitation. 

Get  good  and  do  good. 

In  every  thing  you  undertake,  have  some  definite 
object  in  view. 

Investigate  every  subject  with  which  you  would  be- 
come acquainted,  until  you  understand  it. 

Learn  to  bear  disappointments  cheerfully. 

Never  call  on  an  individual  unless  you  have  a  pros- 
pect of  doing  or  receiving  good. 

Never  make  calls  on  the  Sabbath  unless  duty  re- 
quires. 

Never  speak  unless  you  have  something  to  say,  and 
always  stop  when  you  are  done. 

Never  laugh  immoderately. 

Never  smile  at  the  infirmities  of  others. 

Never  manifest  any  peculiar  emotion  at  the  looks  or 
appearance  of  a  stranger. 

Never  be  a  minute  too  late. 

Never  look  behind  you,  or  gaze  idly  at  any  person  in 
the  streets. 


DETACHED  HAY1-\GS.  .">.;] 

Never  make  sport  of  an  intoxicated  or  an  insane 
person. 

Observe  all  the  rules  of  politeness  at  home  which 
you  would  were  you  situated  among  strangers. 

Spend  time  not  only  profitably,  but  most  profitably. 

Study  the  Bible  so  much  that  every  week  you  can 
perceive  you  are  increasing  in  knowledge  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures. 

The  intellectual  miser  is  an  object  of  contempt. 

What  ought  to  be  done  can  be  done. 

To  TEACHERS. 

Never  engage  to  teach  where  you  can  not  give  re- 
ligious instruction. 

Say  to  scholars,  "  You  must  not  do  this  because  it 
is  improper"  not  "  because  you  are  scholars,"  Whis- 
pering, for  instance,  is  always  impolite. 

A  teacher  should  be  careful  not  to  appeal  to  herself. 
Let  your  actions  speak. 

To  improve  perception,  present  objects  before  the 
school,  and  ask  definite  questions;  e.g.,  "My  watch 
and  the  bell,  do  they  shine  alike  ?  "  —  referring  not  to 
color,  but  to  luster. 

Make  the  dull  ones  think  once  a  day ;  make  their 
eyes  sparkle  once  a  day. 

Make  a  scholar  decide  as  to  matters  of  perception. 
A  book  of  animals  is  useful.  Compare  not  the  whole 
animal,  but  one  part. 

Avoid  giving  extra  lessons  for  punishment.  You 
certainly  would  not  make  a  boy  get  a  lesson  for  tell- 
ing a  he. 


032    .  UKCOLLECT10SS  OF  MARY  LYOX. 

Never  threaten  scholars  when  you  punish.  If  the 
culprit  says,  "  I  didn't  know  that  I  should  be  pun- 
ished," reply,  "  I  did  not  expect  you  would  know  it ; 
but  did  you  not  know  it  was  wrong?  If  not,  I  will  not 
punish  you." . 

I  would  not  dare  say,  "  Those  who  have  whispered 
may  rise,"  but,  "All  may  rise.  Those  who  have  not 
whispered  may  sit  down." 

Always  treat  parents  and  former  teachers  with  re- 
spect. 

Aim  to  make  every  lesson  interesting. 

Avoid  having  favorites  in  school. 

Ask  a  scholar  to  do  what  you  desire  in  such  a  man 
ner  as  you  would  ask  a  favor  of  a  companion. 

Be  willing  to  devote  your  whole  time  to  your  school, 
and  be  willing  to  make  the  best  use  of  it. 

Convince  the  scholars  that  you  are  their  friend. 

Do  not  forbid  play  as  a  punishment,  but  rather  for- 
bid study. 

Do  not  frequently  mention  particular  faults. 

Encourage  the  diffident,  and  humble  the  forward. 

If  you  have  a  dull  scholar,  endeavor  to  gain  his  at- 
tention, even  to  the  neglect  of  some  others. 

Let  your  affection  be  manifested  in  conduct  rather 
than  in  words. 

Let  your  punishments  be  such  as  will  affect  the  mind 
rather  than  the  body. 

Let  your  punishments  be  such  as  to  deprive  your 
pupils  of  some  real  privilege. 

Let  the  certainty,  not  the  severity,  of  your  punish- 
ments inspire  dread. 

Never  make  the  study  of  the  Bible  a  punishment. 


DETACHED  SAYIXOS.  333 

Never  threaten  unless  you  can  execute. 

Never  attempt  to  correct  more  than  one  fault  at  a 
time. 

Never  cherish  in  your  scholars  an  immoderate  ambi- 
tion. 

Never  magnify  follies  and  failings. 

Never  compare  one  child  with  another. 

Never  allow  yourself  to  speak  in  a  fretful,  angry 
tone. 

Never  make  unnecessary  remarks  upon  families. 

Never  be  in  haste  to  believe  a  pupil  has  done  wrong. 

Never  make  contemptuous  remarks  upon  scholars. 

Study  every  lesson  before  you  give  it  to  be  learned. 

Teach  children  to  bear  disappointments  with  cheer- 
fulness. 

Treat  a  retiring  child  with  peculiar  kindness. 

Treat  a  forward  child  with  apparent  indifference. 

When  children  have  been  accustomed  to  bad  habits, 
it  is  better  to  keep  a  record  of  what  is  right  than  of 
what  is  wrong. 


THE  END. 


of  California 
SOUTHERN 

405  "u eo  the 

om  v*tehliwaborrowed 


REC'D  LO-OHL 

EEB101998 


E 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A      000053473    5 


